David Norris could have done with more laughing gas at Arlington Stadium on Saturday night.

A week ago, the medics gave it to the Eagles skipper after he crashed through the fence, shattering his right leg.

"I could do with some of that stuff now," said Norris as he witnessed Eastbourne's season falling apart. "I can't find anything to laugh about tonight. I'm gutted for the team and for all the fans."

Norris, who has inspired Eagles with a catalogue of stand-out displays this year, was clearly feeling pain of a different kind as he watched on crutches as his side stumbled out of the Knockout Cup.

Ipswich won the match 48-46, and if that sounds like Eastbourne went down fighting then nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, it was a tame surrender.

The visitors, nine points up after the first leg, took the sting out of the tie with a 5-1 which stretched their lead to 13 points after just one race.

Eastbourne were never in the hunt, and it was effectively all over with four races still to run when Ipswich led by 39-31 and 17 points overall.

World champion Nicki Pedersen was again magnificent, his final tally of 17 points from five outings including a six-pointer as a tactical rider when he trounced Ipswich's top pairing of Hans Andersen and Kim Jansson.

His only defeat came at the hands of Scott Nicholls, the fastest rider on the night, but Pedersen came out on top in that particular duel 2-1 with a thrilling win in heat 15.

Pedersen received some decent support from Adam Shields, and there were spirited efforts from guests Tomas Topinka and Adam Allott at reserve. Topinka won a couple of races, while Allott led Nicholls and Chris Louis for some way in two of his races.

What Eagles could not afford was for any of their leading riders not to fire on any cylinders, and they got that in the shape of a non-show from Joonas Kylmakorpi, who spluttered round on his first two rides and then packed up at the start of his next.

Dean Barker, a late call-up when Joe Screen was injured the night before, never got going in the Norris slot, his five points from four appearances including an extra point for finishing behind Jesper Jensen and Louis as a tactical.

In contrast, Ipswich had the perfect foil for their top guns in Jansson, who was parachuted into the team in place of the injured Danny Bird and scored a paid 11 points from four rides after managing to beat only one Eastbourne rider in five efforts on his last visit to Arlington.

A lot has happened in between, but Eastbourne's season is finishing as it began - under the Witches' spell.

Ipswich beat them in their opening match and now look set to end the Sussex club's league challenge in the play-offs in a week's time at Ipswich, where Eagles crashed 63-31 a month ago.