PREVIEW: BIRMINGHAM v IPSWICH (ROWE MOTOR OIL PREM)

BIRMINGHAM bid to end their losing sequence when they host injury-hit Ipswich in their final home ROWE Motor Oil Premiership match of the season tonight (Monday).

The Brummies have been beaten in several last heat deciders at Perry Barr recently, but one of their previous successes year did come against the Witches.

Rider replacement will be in operation for Piotr Pawlicki who will not be riding for the club this week whilst the Witches are forced into a staggering four changes.

In addition to their top two of Jason Doyle and Emil Sayfutdinov being out, Adam Ellis is not fit to return after his recent crash against Leicester, and Keynan Rew also misses out after he came to grief at Foxhall last Thursday.

Richard Lawson, Sam Masters, Troy Batchelor and Cameron Heeps take guest bookings for the visitors, who are desperate to see their problems ease in time for the Cup Final and play-offs.

Brummies star Tom Brennan said: “It’s been such a huge shame for the club, but you can clearly see the amount of effort going into this.

“We all know how to ride a bike and we all obviously know how to ride a bike at a very high level – but unfortunately we seem to fire at different stages.

“Everyone is trying really hard and all we can do is try and finish as strong as we can.”

Ipswich manager Ritchie Hawkins said: “We head to Birmingham with a patched-up side full of guests. It is not something we want to be doing, but it is the situation we are in at the moment.

“The main focus is on the Cup Final now, but we have got Birmingham home and away and they have struggled this year.

“We are focused on getting two wins to get back into winning ways before the Cup Final.”

BIRMINGHAM: Fredrik Lindgren, Piotr Pawlicki R/R, Wiktor Lampart, Zach Cook, Tom Brennan, Michael Palm Toft, Leon Flint.
IPSWICH: Richard Lawson, Dan Thompson, Sam Masters, Troy Batchelor, Danny King, Keynan Rew, Jordan Jenkins.
SCB Referee: Craig Ackroyd