PREVIEW: WOLVERHAMPTON v SHEFFIELD (Sports Insure Prem P/O SF)
WOLVERHAMPTON and Sheffield kick off their Sports Insure Premiership semi-final when they meet in the first leg at Monmore Green tonight (Monday).
It’s the sixth time in seven seasons that Wolves have qualified for the play-offs but they are searching for their first league title since 2016 – and it was the Tigers who knocked them out at the equivalent stage last year.
Wolverhampton have hit at least 50 points in each of Sheffield’s visits to the Black Country so far this season, and promoter Chris Van Straaten is looking for something similar once again on Monday.
“It goes without saying that we would like to establish a healthy lead to take into the second leg,” he said.
“For me though, the team that Sheffield will be putting out hasn’t made them any weaker.
“They’ve made some good signings and they’ve got at least one adequate guest coming into their team.
“We are feeling good though, and we’ve got one or two riders in particular coming into form at just the right time – but it’s what the team do overall and collectively that matters most though.”
Wolves are at full strength whilst Sheffield include Robert Lambert, Richard Lawson and Drew Kemp to replace injured trio Tobiasz Musielak, Tai Woffinden and Claus Vissing.
Tigers co-promoter Damien Bates said: “For me, all the pressure and expectation should be on Wolves because they’re racing with their regular 1-7 who’ve been together from press day.
“So we’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain in a way.
“But one thing’s for certain, Steady (Simon Stead – team manager) will make sure each and every one of those riders who are representing Sheffield over the two legs know how much this means to us and the supporters and we’d love to cause an upset with the odds stacked against us.”
WOLVERHAMPTON: Sam Masters, Steve Worrall, Luke Becker, Ryan Douglas, Rory Schlein, Zach Cook, Leon Flint.
SHEFFIELD: Robert Lambert, Kyle Howarth, Chris Holder, Josh Pickering, Richard Lawson, Drew Kemp, Jason Edwards.
