After a break of nearly three weeks since Leicester were last in action the team travel to Swindon on Thursday for an Elite League fixture against the Robins who are currently one place above the Lions in the table.
The composition of the main body of the side is a replica of the Leicester team that beat Belle Vue at the Jordan Road Surfacing Stadium at the beginning of the month.
“We are without Simon Stead who is racing for his Premier League club the Sheffield Tigers in the cup against Berwick so I have asked Sam Masters to guest for us. Sam did a great job against Belle Vue and ended the night with seven points. I have partnered him with Jason Doyle as the two know each other’s style of riding from their days together at Somerset. We are still without Patrick Hougaard following his crash in the Midlands derby fixture at Coventry so we have asked Ben Barker to help us out again. Ben gained three vital third places against the Aces and I know that whichever team he is riding for he gives you one hundred per cent commitment. At reserve, Tom Perry is still a little way off returning to the team after breaking his collar-bone so Simon Lambert will fill in at Swindon” explained the Lions Team Manager Norrie Allan.
Two defeats at home this season have masked the quality of the Robins team who came close to achieving a shock win at King’s Lynn last week, only to lose by a six point margin. “We are not fooled by where Swindon sit in the league table and will give them every respect but we are going there with the intention of at least picking up a point and have Jason Doyle and Mads Korneliussen who have ridden for Swindon in the past so we have some experience in the side” added Allan.
The Rapid Solicitors Lions welcome back Lasse Bjerre for this fixture after the Dane signed for the club following his successful negotiation of the World Under-21 Championship qualifier at Leicester. Bjerre finished third in the meeting after a run-off with the Wolverhampton rider Jacob Thorssell which guaranteed the Dane a safe passage through to the final. Allan said: “Lasse is a great favourite with Lions fans following his two seasons with the club and it was disappointing that we could not fit him in from the very beginning of the season but both David (Hemsley) and I have kept a watchful eye on his performances for Peterborough in the Premier League and have been impressed with his scores.”
Teams
Swindon: 1. Peter Kildemand, 2. Simon Gustafsson, 3. Nick Morris, 4. Dakota North, 5. Troy Batchelor, 6. Nathan Greaves and 7. Steven Worrall
Leicester: 1. Jason Doyle, 2. Sam Masters, 3. Mads Korneliussen, 4. Lasse Bjerre, 5. Ben Barker, 6. Max Clegg and 7. Simon Lambert
