THE Lakeside Hammers will stage the second leg of their Sky Sports Elite League play-off semi-final against Wolverhampton at their Arena-Essex Raceway on Monday, September 28.

THE Lakeside Hammers will stage the second leg of their Sky Sports Elite League play-off semi-final against Wolverhampton at their Arena-Essex Raceway on Monday, September 28.

Before then the Essex-based club travel up to Monmore Green, the home of the Wolverhampton Wolves, this coming Monday (September 21) for the first leg.

The Hammers go to Wolverhampton minus a regular No.6 as both of their doubling up riders, Robert Mear and Phil Morris, are currently injured.

Lakeside Hammers team manager Jon Cook has been busy studying the averages and current form of riders in the Premier League who have an average of six points or less who could come into the Hammers line-up as a guest for this important first leg.

After due deliberation Jon Cook has chosen Edinburgh's 21-year-old Aaron Summers. The Australian is in his third season with the Scottish club. He will ride at reserve and will wear the No.6 race jacket.

The remaining members of the Hammers team are due to line up in their usual riding order, which will, therefore, see them donning the following race numbers:

1. Lee Richardson, 2. Joonas Kylmakorpi, 3. Kauko Nieminen, 4. Jonas Davidsson, 5. Adam Shields, 6. Aaron Summers, 7. Stuart Robson.

The Hammers in the past couple of years have performed well at Monmore Green. In 2008 they won on both occasions. The 'A' League fixture saw them win by seven points and they followed that up with a four point victory in the 'B' fixture.

This season the Hammers lost both of their earlier league encounters, by 11 and seven points, but they did keep the scores close until the strong Wolverhampton pairing of Swedes Peter Karlsson and Fredrik Lindgren took control in heats 13 and 15.

The two matches will be keenly contested and the eventual winners will go on to face the winners of the other semi-final involving Coventry and Swindon.

In addition to the play-offs the Hammers still have the Elite League Knockout Cup Final to contest. At present, they are still awaiting the outcome of the semi-final between Belle Vue and Coventry.

Jon Cook has already been in talks with these promotions and both have agreed that the eventual winners of that semi-final will visit the Arena-Essex Raceway for the first leg of the final on Friday, October 9.

If Coventry make the final the second leg will take place at their stadium on Friday, October 23. If Belle Vue are to be the Hammers' opponents in the final the date for the second leg has still to be confirmed.

With the cup final and the League play-off semi-final, plus the possibility of the play-off final, there is still plenty of top class speedway for the Lakeside Hammers fans to look forward to before the season finally comes to a close.