LEICESTER resume their play-off chase at the Hydroscand Arena, Beaumont Park on Thursday when they face fifth-placed King’s Lynn in what could be a pivotal contest (7.30pm).
The Watling JCB Lions have been frustrated by the weather over the Bank Holiday period, but they remain close to confirming a top four finish.
With the Stars being the only team who could knock the Lions out of contention, a win on Thursday will be enough for the Lions to be safely confirmed in the play-offs.
But the match is just as important for their visitors, with the Stars requiring wins in at least two of their remaining three matches in their attempts to overhaul their most likely opponents Ipswich and make it into the top four.
That means Thursday’s match offers an intriguing prospect, especially given the make-up of the Stars’ side which is arguably stronger than their league position suggests.
The visitors are led by former Lions captain Max Fricke, whose clashes with his Australian World Cup winning colleague Ryan Douglas are once again eagerly anticipated.
Elsewhere in the Lynn side, skipper Chris Harris is a former Leicester rider, whilst former Lion Cubs racer Cooper Rushen finished a sensational fourth in the recent British Final.
The Lions are at full strength in their top five and they bring in Justin Sedgmen, who rode for the club in their first season back in the Premiership back in 2023, to stand in at reserve in place of Kyle Howarth.
Manager Stewart Dickson said: “We’ve done a lot of hard work on the track since all the rain of the Bank Holiday weekend and things are now looking good for Thursday.
“We know a win will get us into the play-offs, and that’s what we are focused on first and foremost, rather than thinking about points to win on aggregate.
“I’m expecting a tough meeting, and I think it may well be much closer than the last time King’s Lynn were here. We would expect Max Fricke to score more points this time, and they have other riders who can improve.
“We need to concentrate on our own jobs as a team and look to get to 46 points on the night.”
Thursday’s meeting will include Leicester’s annual Ben Fund collection, postponed from Monday. Supporters are asked to give as generously as possible to this worthy cause.
Due to recent rain-offs and the lack of any racing to update on, we will be using Monday’s match programmes along with an insert to include the racecard and King’s Lynn information.
Lions TV will also be covering the action at https://www.leicesterlionstv.com/ .
LEICESTER: Ryan Douglas, Drew Kemp, Sam Masters, Dan Thompson, Nick Morris, Justin Sedgmen, Joe Thompson.
KING’S LYNN: Max Fricke, Ben Cook, Jan Kvech, Cooper Rushen, Chris Harris, Jordan Jenkins, Jody Scott.
