LEICESTER kick off a big week against play-off rivals when they host ROWE Motor Oil Premiership leaders Ipswich on Monday (7.30pm).
The Watling JCB Lions have five matches to go in their regular campaign, and the clash with the Witches at the Hydroscand Arena, Beaumont Park is followed up by a trip to Sheffield on Thursday.
Officially, the Lions still need one more win to confirm their play-off spot for definite, as they currently have 32 points and fifth-placed King’s Lynn can still reach 33.
But it would take several shock results for Leicester to slip out of the top four, and it is the finishing order which will prove significant with the play-off semi-final format seeing first meeting fourth and second taking on third.
Powerhouse Ipswich are strong favourites to finish top having emerged from a mid-season blip when they suffered several injuries, and Monday’s meeting promises to be a classic between two in-form teams.
The Lions have suffered just one defeat in ten in all competitions, whilst the Witches have recovered from a surprise KO Cup exit to King’s Lynn by taking maximum points from their last four league matches.
Leicester are set to welcome back American star Luke Becker who has been sidelined since early June with back injuries, whilst Kyle Howarth also returns after a week off due to family issues.
Rising Star Joe Thompson is also expected to take his place despite having been involved in two heavy crashes not of his making in recent matches for his Championship club Plymouth.
Ipswich are led by their star spearhead of Jason Doyle and Emil Sayfutdinov whilst Tom Brennan guested superbly for the Lions in the KO Cup Final, and former Leicester reserve Dan Thompson has often enjoyed his returns to the Hydroscand Arena.
Lions boss Stewart Dickson said: “It should be a really good meeting, and I know the fans look forward to seeing the big names here and our own boys getting in and about them.
“But Ipswich are a more than capable side even aside from Doyley and Emil, and you look at the scores of Adam Ellis since he moved to No.2 which seems to have really worked for them.
“We are in good form ourselves at the moment, though, and I expect a really close match. It’s one where I’d just be happy with a win of any kind without getting too many ideas about the aggregate point.
“I want to finish as high up the table as possible, and if we could make it into the top two it gives us the choice of when we take the home leg of the semi-final.
“It will be good to get the team back together, especially with Luke having missed so many meetings, and we obviously need him up to speed for the play-offs especially.”
Supporters are also asked to note that on Monday evening the club will be staging their annual Speedway Riders’ Benevolent Fund collection. Please give as generously as you can to this most worthy cause.
Those unable to attend the meeting in person do have the next-best opportunity to follow the action as the meeting will be live streamed by Lions TV, with details available from https://www.leicesterlionstv.com/ .
LEICESTER: Max Fricke, Luke Becker, Ryan Douglas, Kyle Howarth, Sam Masters, Drew Kemp, Joe Thompson.
IPSWICH: Jason Doyle, Adam Ellis, Emil Sayfutdinov, Danny King, Tom Brennan, Dan Thompson, Jason Edwards.
