PREVIEW: BIRMINGHAM v OXFORD (ROWE MOTOR OIL PREM)

BIRMINGHAM host Oxford at Perry Barr tonight (Monday) in a key ROWE Motor Oil Premiership clash as both sides look to avoid the wooden spoon.

The Spires are two points ahead of the Brummies with all three of their wins so far this season having come against the West Midlands side.

And they have brought in some recent track knowledge with 2024 Birmingham rider Zach Cook guesting for the unwell Erik Riss, whilst Jason Edwards – who started the season with the Brummies before being injured – comes in for Peter Kildemand at No.6. Kye Thomson is in for Craig Cook.

The home side have Zaine Kennedy guesting at reserve for Ben Barker who is not yet ready to return after his appendix operation, and the Spires have the aggregate point very much in their hands after a 62-28 win in the reverse fixture.

Birmingham boss Chris Adams said: “We’re not going to be approaching this one any differently as such, and I won’t be putting any pressure on the riders.

“But it is an important meeting in the sense that we haven’t got a boatload of fixtures left now and we want to pick up as many points as we can between now and the end of the season.

“Even more so with it being Birmingham’s last year, we don’t want to finish bottom of the league, and we know another win on Monday night could go a long way to making sure that doesn’t happen.”

Oxford manager Peter Schroeck said: “We have a good record up there and we will go and do our best as we always do.”

BIRMINGHAM: Tobiasz Musielak, Paco Castagna, Jonas Jeppesen, Keynan Rew, Matej Zagar, Zaine Kennedy, Sam Hagon.
OXFORD: Maciej Janowski, Zach Cook, Charles Wright, Kye Thomson, Rohan Tungate, Jason Edwards, Luke Killeen.

SCB Referee: Phil Griffin