PREVIEW: SHEFFIELD v NORTHAMPTON (ROWE MOTOR OIL PREM)

SHEFFIELD need one league point from their final regular fixture at home to Northampton tonight (Wednesday) to secure their place in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership play-offs.

It means a draw or a win would be enough to move them mathematically clear of fifth placed King’s Lynn as they look to finish in the top-flight’s top four for a sixth straight season.

Victory for the Tigers would also move them back into third place and set up a repeat of last season’s dramatic play-off semi-final against Leicester.

Sheffield bring in Max Fricke to guest for injured No.1 Jack Holder, whilst Northampton have three riders absent due to clashing commitments with this rearranged fixture.

Danish duo Niels-Kristian Iversen and Nicolai Klindt are racing in their home country and are replaced by Sam Masters and Jason Edwards, with rider replacement in operation for Kye Thomson who is involved in the Championship play-offs.

Tigers boss Simon Stead said: “We’ve been saying for a while now about the importance of the remaining fixtures; the fact that we’ve picked up important points when we’ve needed to has got us to this point, and now we need to finish the job at home against Northampton.

“It’s not a given, it’s not a free hit, we will need to be focused and we’ll need to be at our best – but it’s a good opportunity for us to continue our good vein of form at Sheffield.”

Foxes co-promoter Paul Hunsdon said: “This meeting has to be run before September 17, and with us already running at home on that night, this was the only date that Sheffield could stage the meeting.

“The options were hugely limited due to meetings and commitments elsewhere, and we’d like to thank Sam and Jason for agreeing to come in and help us out.”

SHEFFIELD: Max Fricke, Anders Rowe, Chris Holder, Leon Flint, Josh Pickering, Jye Etheridge, Luke Killeen.

NORTHAMPTON: Sam Masters, Kye Thomson R/R, Jason Edwards, Adam Ellis, Jaimon Lidsey, Mitch McDiarmid, Luke Harrison.

SCB Referee: Paul Carrington

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