DAN THE MAN FOR WITCHES?

IPSWICH boss Ritchie Hawkins says he’s comfortable to be heading into the first leg of the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership Grand Final on Monday with Dan Thompson returning to reserve.

As a former Leicester rider, Thompson has often been a key figure for the Witches on their visits to the Hydroscand Arena, Beaumont Park, and he scored paid-14 on his last appearance back in August.

Hawkins said: “With the break, we have drifted into the next month and Dan has dropped to reserve. He is probably our best rider around Leicester, so to have him at reserve could be a trump card if he performs as he has done every other time he has ridden there for us.

“Either way I was happy with Dan or Adam (Ellis) at reserve. It doesn’t make too much difference, we are solid from one to seven.

“This is the first leg of what will be two cracking meetings and whatever the result on Monday, the reverse could happen on Thursday.

“It will be 30 great heats between two top teams who both go well on each other’s tracks, it will be a dogfight from start to finish.”