Boss content with Ipswich play-off lead over Newcastle

Ipswich Witches team manager Pete Simmons believes his side are in a strong position ahead of their play-off second leg tie with Newcastle Diamonds.

The Witches pipped the Diamonds 46-44 on Sunday, with Thursday's return leg at Foxhall set to decide who will earn a place in next season's Elite League.

Simmons told BBC Radio Suffolk: "It's our home track and we've not been invincible around there for sure.

"But a two-point advantage is certainly where we wanted to be."

The Suffolk club were dealt an early blow at the Newcastle Stadium when Polish pair Chris Slabon and Robert Miskowiak were both injured in their first races.

Ipswich staff will wait until later in the week before deciding if either if them can ride at Foxhall on Thursday.

There's another 15 races to go and, heaven forbid, if we have some bad luck like last night then it still could be close at the end of the day

Ipswixh team manager Pete Simmons

But those early falls gave the Diamonds the impetus with Kenni Larsen (12 points), a rider tipped to be in the Elite League next season regardless of Newcastle's fortunes, and Rene Bach (12) showing why they have been two of the Premier League's top performers this term.

Ipswich were eight points adrift by the halfway mark but rallied through Scott Nicholls (12), Danny King (13) and Dawid Stachyra (12) to win the tie in the final heat.

"We knew it was going to be tough, they'd been whipping most people in the Premier League up there this year," Simmons added.

"There's another 15 races to go and, heaven forbid, if we have some bad luck like last night then it still could be close at the end of the day.

"I'm sure the Newcastle lads will relish coming to Foxhall, I think the track's twice as wide at Ipswich so there's going to be plenty of room for them to manoeuvre."