PREVIEW: LEICESTER v KENT (Champ/NDL)

LEICESTER look to secure a top-three Championship place when they host Kent in a double-header tonight (Saturday, 6pm) with the sides also meeting in the NDL.

Victory for the Lions will move them above Redcar, and they also still have a chance of automatically reaching the play-off semi-finals as they visit Glasgow on Sunday.

The meeting also sees the Lions’ 2019 title-winning captain Scott Nicholls return to the Paul Chapman & Sons Arena with the Kings.

Leicester boss Stewart Dickson said: “I’m pleased with what has gone on over the last few weeks, and I now feel we’re riding at a level that we should have been when we signed Hans (Andersen) and Zaine (Kennedy).

“We are now where I expect us to be, and I did say in the summer that we were seeing other teams having good runs, whilst I was hopeful that Leicester’s good run would come in September and October!

“Looking at the last few matches, we are coming into form at just the right time, and now it’s just a case of keeping it going.”

The NDL match sees the hosts bring in Ryan Terry-Daley, a member of their victorious 2019 side, to guest in place of Joe Lawlor who quit the sport recently.

Lion Cubs manager Dave Howard said: “I just felt that with it being a double-header and having Dan and Joe (Thompson) riding in the first meeting, it’s always a bit of a risk running rider-replacement when you’ve got riders riding in the first part of a double-header as well.

“That’s why we decided to bring Ryan in, and obviously he knows our track from 2019 so we’re hoping he can have a good night and that we can complete the second part of a double victory for the club. We’re looking forward to it.”

LEICESTER: Nick Morris, Dan Thompson, Ryan Douglas, Kyle Howarth, Hans Andersen, Joe Thompson, Zaine Kennedy.
KENT: Troy Batchelor, Ben Morley, Paul Starke, Cameron Heeps, Scott Nicholls, Alex Spooner, Dan Gilkes.

LEICESTER LION CUBS: Dan Thompson, Ben Trigger, Tom Spencer, Ryan Terry-Daley, Joe Thompson, Kai Ward, Mickie Simpson.
KENT ROYALS: Dan Gilkes, Jake Mulford R/R, Ryan Kinsley, Jacob Clouting, Alex Spooner, Josh Warren, Vinnie Foord.