IPSWICH Witches travel to Manchester tonight hoping to keep the Aces to within striking distance, as they attempt to make progress in this season's knock-out cup.

IPSWICH Witches travel to Manchester tonight hoping to keep the Aces to within striking distance, as they attempt to make progress in this season's knock-out cup.

Tonight's clash is the first leg, after rain washed out the original first date at Foxhall two weeks ago.

Whether that will be to Ipswich's advantage remains to be seen. But at least they will know exactly what they will have to do at Foxhall in the second leg after tonight's clash.

Both the Aces and the Witches have grand cup histories. But of late, neither club has done well in this competition. And with both sides making average starts to their League campaign, a cup run could prove healthy.

Ipswich track the same side that would have ridden against Eastbourne on Thursday night, had the rain not intervened.

Again the busy Carl Wilkinson rides at reserve for the Witches who will be looking for victory, or at least no less than a six or eight-point deficit to make up in the second leg.

Belle Vue supremo David Gordon certainly wants a good cup run from his side.

“This match was supposed to be the second leg but now it's up to us to put a lot of points on the board to take to Ipswich,” he said.

“In my view we would have been better off going on second because then you know what you have to do in your home leg.

“We had hoped to contain Ipswich to a low score, or even beat them, when we were due to go there for the first leg last month but, unfortunately, it was called off.

“The boys gave a great performance in our last home match against Wolverhampton when we gained our first Elite League win of the season and now we need a repeat of that against the Witches.”

Belle Vue are expected to include Billy Forsberg in their side for his debut for the Aces this season, after a wrist injury has kept him sidelined. He will replace Henning Bager.

Teams

BELLE VUE: Krzysztof Kasprzak, James Wright, Charlie Gjedde (capt) Billy Forsberg, Ulrich Ostergaard, Steve Boxall, Patrick Hougaard.

IPSWICH: Jarek Hampel, Morten Risager, Tobi Kroner, Danny King (capt), Piotr Swiderski, Dawid Stachyra, Carl Wilkinson.