Ipswich team manager Paul Hurry hopes the Tru7 Group Witches can defend their unbeaten home record as they face a tough test against Leicester in the Rowe Motor Oil Premiership at Foxhall on Thursday.
The Witches went down 55-35 away to the Lions on Monday. They went into the meeting without injured skipper Danny King and also lost the in-form Richard Lawson to illness just an hour before tapes-up.
With Lawson ruled out until Monday under the sport’s rules, Ipswich operates rider replacement for him. Danish star Michael Palm Toft steps in as a guest for King on a night when the Witches could only select from Cab Direct Championship riders, with every Premiership side in action.
But Hurry is determined to defend Witches’ unbeaten Foxhall record this season. He said: “That’s what we are aiming for – keeping that home record intact would be nice. The cards we have been dealt are not the best, but I am sure we’ll do everything we can to get the win.
“We have Michael coming in as a guest and he can make starts and beat the best of them around there. We just need to have a bit of faith in the boys, and we’ll see where we end up.
“You have to deal with the cards you are dealt. Things can’t be helped – injuries and illnesses are going to come along. When they come along together, that’s just bad luck. It is what it is, and we just have to get on with it.”
Hurry hopes using rider replacement to cover for Lawson at No.2 will work well, allowing all six Witches to take a ride.
He said: “If I had put Michael Palm Toft in place of Danny, Tom couldn’t have taken a ride. We had to switch things around a little bit and get the best out of what we’ve got. I think that’s the best mix we could have. I just hope the boys make starts and can do their best.”
Thursday’s match features a home debut for Danish reserve Kevin Juhl Pedersen, who has never even visited Foxhall as an away rider. But Hurry is backing him to make himself at home quickly.
He said: “It will be the first time he has seen the place. With the different sports that go on at Foxhall, we don’t get much practice there. The only practice riders get is after a meeting. It’s a tough gig for Kevin. The first time he will ride the track is in his first race. But with his capabilities, I am sure he’s going to do a good job. We’ll give him a race or two to get into things, and I am pretty sure he will have the track weighed up in no time.”
Advance tickets for the Lions clash are available online HERE. Cash is accepted at the turnstiles on race day, with card payments available at the entrance to the right, where fans with pre-paid tickets can also gain admission.
For those unable to make it to Foxhall, the Rowe Motor Oil Premiership clash can also be streamed on WitchesTV. CLICK HERE for more details.
STARTING LINE-UPS
IPSWICH TRU7 GROUP WITCHES: 1. Tom Brennan, 2. Rider Replacement – Richard Lawson, 3. Michael Palm Toft (guest), 4. Scott Nicholls (captain), 5. Tobiasz Musielak, 6. Kevin Juhl Pedersen, 7. Jason Edwards.
LEICESTER LIONS: 1. Ryan Douglas, 2. Kyle Howarth or Rider Replacement, 3. Nick Morris, 4. Dan Thompson, 5. Sam Masters (captain), 6. Drew Kemp, 7. Joe Thompson.