MONDAY PREVIEW: FOXES v IPSWICH
NORTHAMPTON Foxes are back at the International Shaleway on Monday when they host Ipswich at the start of their busiest spell of the season (7.30pm start).
The Witches were the visitors for the historic opening meeting at Brafield back in April, coming away with a 49-41 win in the KO Cup, and the Foxes are keen to turn the tables on this occasion in a league encounter.
Northampton have a run of five matches in the next fortnight, and it’s essential that they add to their points total in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership.
Memories are still fresh of what was, for eleven races, a terrific performance against Sheffield last time out until the match turned against them in the closing stages, and the challenge now is to carry things forward throughout the contest.
There is a new look to the riding order as Kye Thomson, who has been sensational at reserve this season, now has an official Premiership average and therefore moves into the top five of the team.
Foxes manager Chris Adams has elected to place Thomson at No.2 alongside Jaimon Lidsey, with Troy Batchelor switching to No.4 where will join the returning Niels-Kristian Iversen in the middle-order.
Jonas Jeppepsen now drops to reserve, and he would be the rider to take additional outings along with Rising Star Luke Harrison should the circumstances on the night dictate that is necessary. Skipper Nicolai Klindt remains at No.5 after a strong display against the Tigers.
Ipswich have maintained a clean sheet at home this season, but are yet to add any points on the road in the league.
They were slammed 62-28 at Belle Vue last Monday, a performance they are not expected to repeat, and they also lost an aggregate point to the Aces on Thursday after being held to a ten-point home win.
That meeting saw Swedish reserve Philip Hellstrom-Bangs suffer concussion which keeps him out of the trip to Northampton, with the Witches bringing in Danish rider Kevin Juhl Pedersen – who rides for Glasgow in the second tier – to make his Premiership debut.
Several of the more experienced Ipswich riders displayed an immediate liking for the Shaleway on their previous visit, and the Foxes will be keen to put their more recent track knowledge to good use.
Adams said: “It is a vital strategy that we win our home matches - and if like last week you don’t, it puts the pressure on more to try and offset that result with an away win to compensate.
“Reflecting back on the Sheffield match, we as a team know where we lost it, and I’m confident that when we are in that position again the outcome will be in the Foxes’ favour.
“We have to reset, we go again, and with the positives taken from last meeting I’m sure we will be in for another cracker of a meeting.”
Advance tickets are available from https://northampton-speedway.com/ticket-office with a reminder that cash and card options are available at the turnstiles on the night. There is no Foxes TV coverage on this occasion as the meeting has been selected by BSN, whose stream can be accessed from https://www.britishspeedwaynetwork.co.uk/ .
NORTHAMPTON: Jaimon Lidsey, Kye Thomson, Niels-Kristian Iversen, Troy Batchelor, Nicolai Klindt, Jonas Jeppesen, Luke Harrison.
IPSWICH: Tom Brennan, Danny King, Richard Lawson, Scott Nicholls, Tobiasz Musielak, Kevin Juhl Pedersen, Jason Edwards.