WITH a relegation play-off as good as starring them in the face, it’s only pride Ipswich Witches can now race for before they embark on a two-legged encounter with a Premier League team to ensure their Elite League future.

Tonight the Witches travel to Swindon, hoping to put on a better show than they did at Lakeside on Friday night, where another hammering in Essex all but put paid to the Suffolk side’s hopes of avoiding the wooden spoon.

The Witches, who are at Eastbourne on Thursday, need to beat both Swindon tonight and the Eagles, and by more than six points each time, to keep their outside chances of avoiding the bottom place alive.

But bearing in mind Ipswich haven’t won on their travels at all this season, the odds on that would be very generous indeed.

Swindon are expected to be at full strength for tonight’s meeting, with Maciek Janowski making his Blunsdon debut. Mads Korneliussen shuffles to the No.2 position, whilst Cory Gathercole and Morten Risager occupy the reserve department.

The Robins’ season has fallen apart, with a string of poor performances and rain-offs. Indeed only six weeks ago the Robins were on the verge of the play-offs. But now find their season drifting away.

For the Witches, Dawid Stachyra is expected to return after complaining of a back problem earlier last week.

He was practising for his Polish club on Saturday and was hoping to ride yesterday. If he came through that, then he should take his place at reserve for the Suffolk side.

Teams:

Swindon: Leigh Adams (C), Mads Korneliussen, Grzegorz Zengota, Maciek Janowski, Simon Stead, Cory Gathercole, Morten Risager

Ipswich: Scott Nicholls, Chris Slabon, Danny King (C), Ales Dryml, Robert Miskowiak, Dawid Stachyra, Kozza Smith

n THE Croatian Grand Prix was rained off on Saturday night, but took place yesterday morning and saw victory for American Greg Hancock. Second was Britain’s Chris Harris, with Jason Crump third.

The result was a massive boost for both Hancock and Harris, who had been floundering just outside the automatic top eight who qualify for next year’s series.

Now both have moved into the top eight which read as: 1st Tomasz Gollob - 117, 2nd Jaroslaw Hampel - 110, 3rd Jason Crump - 107, 4th Rune Holta - 82, 5th Kenneth Bjerre - 81, 6th Greg Hancock - 75, 7th Chris Holder - 73 , 8th Chris Harris - 72