PETERBOROUGH head into a crunch Bank Holiday programme against Coventry - needing big points to maintain their surge towards the Elite League play-offs.

PETERBOROUGH head into a crunch Bank Holiday programme against Coventry - needing big points to maintain their surge towards the Elite League play-offs.

The Readypower Panthers still added to their total despite a narrow away defeat against Birmingham in a thriller at Perry Bar on Wednesday, and one more away win could make matters very interesting as long as they can maintain their home form.

Other clubs will take points off each other, with Lakeside facing Poole at Purfleet on Friday, the Hammers then having two trips to King’s Lynn, and the Pirates taking on champions Swindon home and away next week.

So if the Panthers can avenge their Spring Bank Holiday results against the Bees with all three points at the Showground on Friday (7.30pm) and then a win in Monday’s return fixture at Brandon, they should make further ground on the top four as the run-in continues.

Coventry have won only one away match all season, but that was their thumping 56-37 victory at the Showground which promoted major surgery to the Panthers team and the resultant upswing in results. Since then, the Bees failed to score a further league point on the road until they picked up one from a narrow defeat at King’s Lynn on Wednesday.

Panthers skipper Kenneth Bjerre misses the meeting as he prepares for Saturday’s Grand Prix Challenge at Poole, with the spectacular Chris Harris booked to replace him as a guest – whilst the rider-replacement facility continues to operate for Norbert Kosciuch, who is not fit to return after his crash on Monday.

Coventry, meanwhile, include the Showground track record holder, Polish star Krzysztof Kasprzak, and the in-form Kozza Smith guests for the injured Adam Roynon at reserve.

Panthers co-boss Trevor Swales said: “We know how important these two meetings with Coventry are for us. We need all three points at home and then the target is another away win, but it’s going to be tough.

“The likes of Kasprzak can do some serious damage around the Showground, and with Kozza Smith guesting for them too we know what he can do!

“But the boys are so buoyant and pumped up at the moment, we feel like we can really do something now. We have momentum, and that’s a very powerful thing in speedway.”

PETERBOROUGH: Chris Harris, Ryan Fisher, R/R, Krzysztof Buczkowski, Joonas Kylmakorpi, Dakota North, Patrick Hougaard.

COVENTRY: Krzysztof Kasprzak, Michal Szczepaniak, Grzegorz Zengota, Aaron Summers, Scott Nicholls, Stuart Robson, Kozza Smith