LEICESTER boss Stewart Dickson has called for one last push from his Lions’ side in tonight’s Grand Final.
But he admits that the Lions have a mountain to climb if they are to claw back an 18-point first leg deficit against a Belle Vue side boosted by the return of Ben Cook.
Dickson said: “We’ve given ourselves a bit of a mountain to climb, but can it be done? Yes, it can, anything is possible.
“If I’d won my home leg 54-36 I’d be thinking we’d need to ride really badly to lose it in the second leg, so we’ve made it difficult for ourselves.
“We’re under pressure but this Lions’ team has already proved this season that they can do it when it counts. If we can get off to a good start things can quickly change. It can happen in speedway.”
And their results against the Aces this season do offer encouragement with Leicester beating Belle Vue 53-37 and 55-35 on the two occasions the sides met in the East Midlands.
And of course last year’s Grand Final saw Sheffield overturn an identical deficit against Ipswich, so nothing is decided at this stage.
Work has continued at the stadium following the heavy rain of the last ten days which caused two postponements.
And with a dry forecast there is every expectation that the second leg will be able to take place as scheduled in front of the Eurosport and Discovery+ cameras from 7.30pm.
October averages mean that Lewis Kerr is now ineligible to guest for Craig Cook which means a return to Lions’ colours for Drew Kemp who was replaced by the Cumbrian in the Lions’ line-up nine meetings into the season.
Cook, who was concussed in a heavy crash during the semi-final at Sheffield, was due to make his comeback for Championship club Poole last night and is expected to take his place in the Aces’ seven after missing the first leg.
The Aces include newly-crowned World number four Dan Bewley and Aussie duo Brady Kurtz and Jaimon Lidsey who, along with Lions skipper Max Fricke, will be bidding for a place in next season’s Grand Prix series when they compete in the GP Challenge at Pardubice on Friday.
Leicester: Max Fricke, Richard Lawson, Sam Masters, Luke Becker, Ryan Douglas, Drew Kemp, Sam Hagon.
Belle Vue: Brady Kurtz, Norick Blodorn, Jaimon Lidsey, Ben Cook, Dan Bewley, Antti Vuolas, Jake Mulford.
Words by George Dodds.
Images by Taylor Lanning.