LEICESTER face potentially one of their toughest home tests of the season against an in-form Plymouth side at the Paul Chapman & Sons Arena on Saturday (6.30pm).
The table-topping Watling JCB Lions go for an eighth successive Championship win in the first half of a double-header which is followed up by the Lion Cubs taking on the Devon club’s Centurions outfit.
Plymouth themselves are up amongst the pace-setters with a 100 per cent record in home matches at the Coliseum, and they have already won away at Scunthorpe and gone close at Redcar and Glasgow.
And they arrive with two former Lions stars in their line-up, with the visitors captained by Danish ace Hans Andersen and also tracking ex-Leicester skipper Scott Nicholls as a guest for the injured Edward Kennett at No.1.
In addition, the Gladiators have a powerful engine-room combination of Ben Barker and Michael Palm Toft, as they seek more away points to boost their own play-off hopes.
Leicester make one change from Wednesday’s sensational victory at Poole, with Connor Coles promoted from the Lion Cubs to fill the space left by Anders Rowe’s departure.
Coles has recently agreed to join Championship side Scunthorpe as a replacement for the injured Ryan Kinsley.
Lions boss Stewart Dickson said: “We’re very pleased with our current form, but what we need to do is make sure we don’t slip up at home against Plymouth.
“We certainly won’t get carried away with our recent results, I’ll make sure of that, and we need to be ready for this one.
“Plymouth will be coming here trying to get something, so we need to make sure we don’t undo the good work we did on Wednesday.”
A busy spell for the Lions continues when they travel to Newcastle on Sunday in more Championship action.
Meanwhile the Lion Cubs will look to consolidate second position in the National Development League table in their own home clash with Plymouth which follows on after the senior fixture.
Sam Woods steps in at reserve with the Cubs hopeful that youngster Max Perry will be fit to resume from a broken collarbone in the near future.
The Centurions have had a host of issues to contend with so far in 2022, but have one of the league’s top riders Alfie Bowtell guesting at No.1, and are led by the experienced Richard Andrews.
And the visitors also include Ben Trigger, who makes his first official return to the Paul Chapman & Sons Arena after being such a popular member of the Cubs’ 2021 team before leaving to join his local club over the winter.
Supporters are reminded of the early start time of 6.30pm for Saturday’s meeting, with admission prices set at £22 for adults, £19 concessions, and children still just £1.
LEICESTER: Nick Morris, Connor Mountain, Richie Worrall, Joe Thompson, Kyle Howarth, Connor Coles, Dan Thompson.
PLYMOUTH: Scott Nicholls, Alfie Bowtell, Ben Barker, Michael Palm Toft, Hans Andersen, Ben Morley, Harry McGurk.
LEICESTER LION CUBS: Dan Thompson, Mickie Simpson, Connor Coles, Tom Spencer, Joe Thompson, Sam Woods, Vinnie Foord.
PLYMOUTH CENTURIONS: Alfie Bowtell, Ben Trigger, Richard Andrews, Ben Phillips, Jacob Fellows, Eli Meadows, Connor King.
