PREVIEW: SHEFFIELD v IPSWICH (Sports Insure Prem Grand Final)

IPSWICH take an 18-point lead to Sheffield tonight (Thursday) as they bid to become league champions for the first time in 25 years.

The Witches won the first leg of the Sports Insure Premiership Grand Final 54-36 on Tuesday and will now look to complete the job at Owlerton – but boss Ritchie Hawkins is warning there is work still to be done.

They have an identical advantage to the halfway stage of their semi-final against Belle Vue, and that meeting in Manchester went down to a dramatic last-race decider.

The Suffolk side are unchanged from the first leg with Joe Thompson once again stepping in for brother Dan in the Rising Star berth.

And the Witches were relieved when medical checks on Jason Doyle, who was involved in a crash in his first ride on Tuesday, revealed no breaks with the Australian declared fit to ride.

Hawkins said: “We are in a similar position to the semi-final with a big lead, but we are going to a team that we know are going to be very strong on their home track. We saw them turn over Wolves last week and they were superb in the semi-final.

“We need to go into it looking to win it and carry on what we have been doing. We are doing everything right at the minute, everything is rolling our way but at some point, Sheffield will get on top and we need to make sure we keep on fighting like we did at Belle Vue and like we have done all season when our backs have been against the wall. One more meeting, let’s go and do it.

“They are going to be fired up, they want to win the league. We are battling for the top prize in British Speedway, and nobody is just going to give it to us on a plate and the boys know that. They have shown this season that they are fully prepared for Thursday, and they don’t want to let anything stand in their way.”

SHEFFIELD: Robert Lambert, Kyle Howarth, Chris Holder, Josh Pickering, Chris Harris, Jye Etheridge, Jason Edwards.
IPSWICH: Emil Sayfutdinov, Erik Riss, Danny King, Keynan Rew, Jason Doyle, Danyon Hume, Joe Thompson.

Photo credit: JEFF HIGGOTT