PREVIEW: SHEFFIELD v KING’S LYNN (PREM KOC)

SHEFFIELD face a ten-point deficit at Owlerton tonight (Thursday) as they face King’s Lynn in the second leg of their KO Cup semi-final.

The Stars were impressive 50-40 winners at the Adrian Flux Arena earlier this month, but they remain without Tobiasz Musielak and Nicolai Klindt with the latter now ruled out for the season.

Richard Lawson and Zach Cook step in as guests for the visitors, whilst the Tigers name a full-strength side as they chase a third successive Cup Final appearance with Ipswich awaiting the aggregate winners.

Sheffield manager Simon Stead said: “Of course I would’ve liked to have been coming into this with the scores a little bit closer on aggregate, but with them leading by ten points after ten races at their place, I was pretty pleased that the lads were at least able to contain them in those final five races in the first leg.

“We just need to go out there, keep doing what we have been doing in recent fixtures around Owlerton and as long as we do that, then I believe we’ll have more than what it takes to make it through.”

Stars boss Rob Lyon said: “You never know. I think we’ll be underdogs given our form this year and Sheffield’s form, but we’ve got a ten-point lead and they’ve got to pull that back.

“We’ve probably got to try to increase it, but certainly protect it at the very least, and that’s what we’ll be aiming to do on Thursday.”

SHEFFIELD: Jack Holder, Kyle Howarth, Chris Holder, Josh Pickering, Tai Woffinden, Jason Edwards, Dan Gilkes.
KING’S LYNN: Richard Lawson, Zach Cook, Niels-Kristian Iversen, Benjamin Basso, Jan Kvech, Patryk Wojdylo, Anders Rowe.
SCB Referee: Barbara Horley

*LIVE STREAMING: https://watch.britishspeedway.co.uk