IPSWICH Evening Star Witches manager Pete Simmons has admitted tonight's Elite League clash with Peterborough is a “must win” meeting.

Mike Bacon

IPSWICH Evening Star Witches manager Pete Simmons has admitted tonight's Elite League clash with Peterborough is a “must win” meeting.

The Suffolk side have slipped down the table after a lack of meetings and two defeats on the bounce. And tonight, any slip-up against the Panthers will leave the Witches reeling.

For Simmons it is proving a frustrating time, with decisions both on and off the track not going the Witches way. And he knows the Suffolk side have reached a crucial point in their season.

“We must win tonight, simple as that,” he said. “If we lose we are in danger of slipping out of the play-off zone.

“Peterborough will be dangerous just as all sides are proving this year. They won at Poole and have riders who know our place well.

“But we beat them well last time they were here and we can do so again.”

One Panthers rider who is capable of doing well at Foxhall is Danny King, an Ipswich asset, who is in his second season on loan to the Panthers.

“The last couple of meetings at Ipswich haven't been the best for me but I do like riding there,” he said.

“I think at the moment we have a chance of winning anywhere as the results are all over the place, everyone seems to be losing at home this year; we just need everyone to chip in with good points we are more than capable.”

The Witches will be using rider replacement again tonight, but Simmons admits that facility isn't working and it is likely to be a case of when, and not if, a replacement rider for the injured Chris Louis, is found.

“There are people out there who could come in for us, but it isn't quite that straightforward,” Simmons said.

“But I can assure Witches fans we are fully aware it isn't doing the job we want.”

Peterborough co-promoter Mick Brately said: “I personally always look forward to visiting Foxhall, as there are many people who work and support the club, who I class as friends, following the couple of seasons I spent there with Hans (Andersen). It is possible for us to get a result, but to do this we need to get off to a positive start.”

Ipswich have the same team that lost at Belle Vue, while Tomas Suchanek comes in for Ty Proctor at reserve for the Panthers.

Teams

Ipswich: 1 P Swiderski, 2 T Kroner, 3 J Hampel, 4 R/R, 5 R Miskowiak, 6 S Johnston, 7 C Schramm.

Peterborough: 1 H Andersen, 2 H Bager, 3 K Bjerre, 4 C Vissing, 5 D King, 6 M Risager, 7 T Suchanek