British Team Q-Finals
Ipswich vs Stockport 2006 .

Elite league basement boys Ipswich were drawn at home to Northern League outfit Stockport in this afternoon’s British team q-finals and for the first time in weeks most probadly started slight favorites to progress to to next round .

Like their hosts the Stockport team have  some fine young talent in the shape of Radcliffe and Higham who could call upon experience from riding in the Elite league for Wednesfield,Jake Read who was riding against Ipswich for the second week running having rode against them for Sheffield . As for Ipswich they had to make a late change after Leon Mower had to pull out of the team  so a call-up for young Matthew Hill to ride at number eight .

Ipswich laid down the marker in the first two heats with a 7-3 from Brooke and Ash Hill ,this was follow by a 6-4 from Williamson and Chittock and a six point cushion ,Stockport didn’t panic and Higham and Radcliffe produced a fine 7-3 heat win in the third to bring them back within two points. Ipswich reponded well in the fourth with Brooke and Stant securing another 7-3 to move the hosts six points clear again. Heat five was a shared ,in the sixth heat Grange and Roberts were able to increase Ipswich’s lead to eight points with a 6-4 . Higham and Radcliffe against recorded a 7-3  this time seeing off Brooke and A.Hill to close the gap to four points

Heat eight saw an exclusion to Chittock for use of the leg and though team mate Williamson managed to win the re-run the heat result saw Stockport pull another point closer and in heat nine things got even better for the visitors when Matt and Jack Lush got the better of Grange and Stant to claim a 6-4 advantage to go into the interval only a point behind. Half time score Ipswich 45 Stockport 44 .

The second half stared with heats ten and eleven been shared ,then Ipswich stepped up a gear in the next two heats winning 6-4 on both occasions to open up a five point lead. Heat fourteen was shared.

Once again Stockport showed they weren’t going to lay down and with Higham the pick of the visitors and supported by Matt Lush brought the match to within one point with a 7-3 over Matt Hill and Williamson ,but the home team kept their nerve and managed to win the final three heats 6-4 ,6-4 and a 6-3 in the final heat after Radcliffe had been excluded for not allowing enough room.

After a few scare’s along the way it was the host club who progressed to the semi-finals at Hull on July 15th for the first time since 1994 . The match was well officiated by Mr. Terry Ashford from Suffolk who in general had a quiet afternoon to look after, which was credit to both sets of riders .

Final score Ipswich 93  Stockport 85 .