PREVIEW: SHEFFIELD v LEICESTER (ROWE MOTOR OIL PREM)

SECOND-placed Sheffield bid to extend a strong run of home form when they host play-off chasing Leicester at Owlerton tonight (Thursday).

The defending ROWE Motor Oil Premiership champions are on a run of six successive wins on their own circuit, but they did slip up at King’s Lynn on Monday where they lost by twelve points.

A positive month of July has also boosted the Lions’ top four hopes, and they travel to South Yorkshire with a 16-point advantage for the aggregate point.

Sheffield are once again without the injured Tai Woffinden, and they will operate rider replacement in the No.2 position to cover, whilst Leicester bring in Antti Vuolas for Craig Cook.

Tigers star Josh Pickering said: “We were all disappointed, and a little bit annoyed, after Monday, but that’s gone now and we focus on this next one.

“It’s going to be tough because Leicester have got some great, quality riders, and I hope I don’t jinx things but I just think we’ll have too much for them around Sheffield.”

Lions boss Stewart Dickson said: “Our recent home results have been excellent and I’m pleased with the team, but we’re still behind Oxford in the league. They’ve still got the points on the board.

“With what we’ve done at home we’ve given ourselves a chance for when we go to places like Sheffield and Ipswich, and we’re now showing what we can do.

“We know Sheffield are strong, they could beat us 54-36, but once you’ve worked hard to get something, you want to protect it, and that will be the message for this away match.”

SHEFFIELD: Jack Holder, Tai Woffinden r/r, Kyle Howarth, Josh Pickering, Chris Holder, Jason Edwards, Dan Gilkes.
LEICESTER: Max Fricke, Richard Lawson, Sam Masters, Luke Becker, Ryan Douglas, Antti Vuolas, Sam Hagon.
SCB Referee: Craig Ackroyd