PREVIEW: IPSWICH v LEICESTER (SPORTS INSURE PREM)

IPSWICH host Leicester in the Sports Insure Premiership tonight (Thursday) with both sides currently in the top four of the league table.

The clubs have already met this season in the KO Cup with the Witches going through, although they were held to six-point margin in the meeting at Foxhall back in April.

The hosts are unchanged from their defeat at Wolverhampton on Monday whilst the Lions operate rider replacement for Richard Lawson, who has to sit out following a heavy crash in Heat 15 of the home win over Sheffield last time out.

Ipswich boss Ritchie Hawkins said: “Leicester did very well at our place on opening night, but I think we have improved during the season and built our confidence up a lot more since then.

“I would expect us to be a tougher test for them, and we go into it with confidence and looking to carry on our winning ways at home.

“It was nice to see the reaction from the fans and the excitement for Ben (Barker) coming back, and I’m sure it won’t take him long to settle in at Ipswich. He has done a lot of laps at Foxhall so he will be straight back on it from Heat 1.”

Leicester manager Stewart Dickson said: “We looked at the guest options, and there was one in particular who I was keen on, but unfortunately he was unavailable.

“However, with the way the teams line up I don’t feel R/R is a bad alternative at all, and it means I have plenty of choice within the team.

“We know we have people who can get round that track and it feels like things are beginning to come together after the last couple of performances at home, so we’ll certainly be going there in a positive frame of mind.”

IPSWICH: Jason Doyle, Ben Barker, Danny King, Keynan Rew, Emil Sayfutdinov, Danyon Hume, Joe Thompson.
LEICESTER: Max Fricke, Justin Sedgmen, Richard Lawson R/R, Chris Harris, Nick Morris, Jake Allen, Dan Thompson.