LEICESTER make the short trip to local rivals Birmingham on Wednesday (7.30pm) looking to further consolidate their Championship play-off place.
The Watling JCB Lions sit fifth in the table just over the halfway stage in their regular schedule, and a win in the West Midlands could elevate them into the top three.
With the top six qualifying for the title shootout, Stewart Dickson’s side are in a strong position, and could also still challenge for a top two finish and automatic qualification for the semi-finals.
And Dickson says the remainder of the August schedule, which includes home and away showdowns with current leaders Glasgow, will be vital to their aspirations.
Lions were emphatic 63-27 winners over the Brummies when the sides met at the Paul Chapman & Sons Arena last month, but Birmingham did collect victory over Kent in a last-heat decider in their last home meeting.
Dickson said: “It’s definitely an away meeting that we’re looking to win, and I do feel that after the five matches we have scheduled for this month we will have a clear indication of where we are likely to be.
“I think Poole are probably favourites to finish top, but I wouldn’t completely rule us out of being in the top two. The most important thing is to ensure we’re in the play-offs first and foremost, and then look to finish as high up as possible.
“I know Birmingham were poor at our track recently but they had a lot going on at the time, and there seems to be some more positivity there after they had a good home win last week.
“I’ve tweaked the riding order with Nick Morris going to No.5, and that’s because Birmingham have two big hitters and Nick is in good form at the moment. So I hope we can match them up there and then take points off them in other areas.
“We’re going there for a win, all four points would be great but a win is most important, and that would set us up well for a big home meeting against Eastbourne on Saturday.
“Eastbourne are a team we need to keep our eyes on, and thankfully the long-range forecast for the weekend is good.
“I’ll be talking to the riders before we race on Wednesday because now is the time when we need to get on a run like we did in 2019. Poole have been on a similar run themselves lately, and we need to respond.”
BIRMINGHAM: Erik Riss, Valentin Grobauer, James Shanes, Ashley Morris, Chris Harris, Paco Castagna, Jack Thomas.
LEICESTER: Hans Andersen, Dan Thompson, Ryan Douglas, Kyle Howarth, Nick Morris, Joe Thompson, Zaine Kennedy.
