LEICESTER boss Stewart Dickson admits it’s fast approaching “make or break time” for their ROWE Motor Oil Premiership play-off hopes.
Despite picking up just one victory away from home this season – at Birmingham – the Lions are still only one point adrift of fourth place as they prepare for tonight’s trip to third-placed Belle Vue.
The Lions are without Rising Star Sam Hagon who suffered facial injuries in a crash while guesting for Berwick on Saturday but Craig Cook is fit to return to his old hunting ground after crashing out of their 30-60 defeat at Ipswich on Thursday.
Sheffield’s Jason Edwards stands-in for Hagon in front of the Eurosport cameras.
Belle Vue won a weather affected encounter at the NSS between the two sides 51-33 in April.
Mark Lemon’s side is also looking to bounce back from a heavy defeat, in their case 54-36 at Sheffield, and they continue to be without number one and captain Brady Kurtz.
The Australian has not raced in the UK since suffering ankle damage in a crash in Poland last month, and the Aces operate the rider replacement facility.
Dickson admitted: “It’s fair to say Belle Vue is not one of our happy hunting grounds, and although they’re weaker with no Brady Kurtz I’m not surprised they’ve gone with r/r because of their form there.
“We need to show a reaction to Thursday night. The next three meetings - at King’s Lynn and then at home to Sheffield – will make or break our season.
“These meetings could have a very big bearing over whether we’re going to be challenging for the top four.
“We need to stick together and be very careful that we don’t get ourselves stuck in a rut.
“It’s a collective thing, riders and management, and whilst we’re in a situation that we’re not accustomed to at Leicester, there’s no sympathy in this sport and it’s up to us to get ourselves out of it.”
Belle Vue: Brady Kurtz r/r, Norick Blodorn, Jaimon Lidsey, Ben Cook, Dan Bewley, Connor Mountain, Connor Bailey
Leicester: Max Fricke, Richard Lawson, Sam Masters, Luke Becker, Ryan Douglas, Craig Cook, Luke Killeen.
Words by George Dodds.
Images by Taylor Lanning.