Ipswich Witches star Morten Risager knows his side cannot afford to be complacent tonight, even though they are up against the Premier League’s basement side.

Ipswich Witches star Morten Risager knows his side cannot afford to be complacent tonight, even though they are up against the Premier League’s basement side.

Rye House Rockets are in town in a Premier League fixture and the Hoddesdon-based outfit are starting to acquire an annoying knack of pushing the ‘Sackers’ Witches all the way at Foxhall.

On Good Friday in a League Cup fixture, the Witches scraped home with a 5-1 maximum in the final race, while last season the Rockets won this corresponding fixture 49-47.

“Rye House seem to ride our place well and we must be sure of getting all three points,” Risager, who has been in fine form of late, said.

“It won’t be easy but we have shown we are strong enough to beat any team at Foxhall.

“We had a bad defeat against Newcastle, but came back well at Berwick and then Newcastle, so we know we are a good side.”

Risager’s form has been one of the main reasons the Witches, who still haven’t fired on all cylinders so far this season, have kept up a decent start to the season.

He was instrumental in the Witches picking up a point at Leicester earlier in the season and then rattled up three victories at Berwick, as well as scoring seven points at Newcastle – including a crucial heat 14 victory.

“It’s rare all seven riders hit form together,” he said.

“But if we do then we are going to be a very good side. We are already good.

“Ben (Barker) is back on form and we just need to get Leigh (Lanham) going. He will get back on form soon because he is a class Premier League rider and far better than the fours and fives he has been scoring.”

Risager has two Danish League meetings on Monday and Wednesday next week in another busy spell after this week off.

However, he and the Witches will need to be careful tonight against a visiting side who maybe so far pointless in the Premier League and minus Olly Allen (broken arm) and Jason Garrity (broken leg).

But they can use rider replacement for Robert Mear, who has taken a break from the sport, and the Rockets will use Somerset’s Josh Grajczonek as a replacement for Allen.

Tonight’s teams

Ipswich: B Barker, R Hawkins, R Tungate, M Risager, L Lanham, A Ellis, C Heeps.

Rye House: J Grajczonek, J Bunyan, A Mellgren, T Nelson, R/R, K Lykke, S Lambert.

Premier League table

P PTS

Leicester 11 24

Workington 9 22

Redcar 9 20

Newcastle 6 15

Edinburgh 6 14

Ipswich 7 12

Somerset 6 10

Plymouth 8 9

Berwick 7 8

Scunthorpe 7 6

Sheffield 8 6

Glasgow 9 5

Rye House 3 0