IPSWICH Evening Star Witches fans will be hoping Robert Miskowiak and Jarek Hampel can bounce back to form with the visit of Peterborough Panthers tonight at Foxhall Stadium.

Mike Bacon

SPEEDWAY:

Ipswich Evening Star Witches v Peterborough Panthers

Craven Shield, 7.30pm

By Mike Bacon

IPSWICH Evening Star Witches fans will be hoping Robert Miskowiak and Jarek Hampel can bounce back to form with the visit of Peterborough Panthers tonight at Foxhall Stadium.

Victory for the home side would give them a tremendous opportunity of making the finals of the Craven Shield. But the Witches will know that any more average performances from too many of their top five and the Panthers could spring a surprise, thus doubling the Witches in the space of a week.

Hampel, so dominant home and away against Lakeside on Good Friday, ran out of fuel on the final lap in his first race at Peterborough, while Miskowiak is having a terrible start to the season and looks short of confidence.

With the No.1 race jacket on his back, it could seriously damage the Witches if he doesn't improve.

Ipswich team manager Pete Simmons said; “We ran them very close at Peterborough on Monday when Jarek had problems with his bikes and had to borrow one from Chris Louis.

“Steve Johnston also suffered early bike problems and Chris Schramm was unfortunate to be excluded in heat 14; all this with an unwell Robert.

“I am very hopeful of a good result on Thursday.”

Simmons' confidence is justified and conceivably the Suffolk side could be unbeaten so far this year if Miskowiak in particular had been at the races.

Certainly Peterborough co-promoter Mick Bratley has seen enough of Ipswich. He said: “It came as no surprise to me that Ipswich pushed us so close on our own track on Monday.

“In my mind I would make the Witches clear favourites for a play-off berth come the end of the season and that is great news for John Louis and his supporters, who have suffered a torrid time in recent years.

“Piotr Swiderski has been magnificent thus far this season and I hear people saying he has a point to prove to his parent club. Well, he doesn't. We are fully aware of his potential and ability and had the point's limit for 2008 been only a fraction higher, he would have been in our side.”

And Peterborough captain Hans Andersen echoed Bratley's thoughts: “You have to be a good rider to score the points Piotr did at Lakeside.

“I think Ipswich are really good side and we must have a couple of riders who have never ridden there before. It is going to be tough.”

Kind words from everyone at Peterborough then.

But the Witches will have to be more ruthless than they were at home to Lakeside on Good Friday and at Alwalton on Easter Monday.

Only then can they start thinking they might be in with a chance of Craven Shield glory.

Tonight's teams

Ipswich: R Miskowiak, P Swiderski, C Louis, S Johnston, J Hampel, C Schramm, T Kroner.

Peterborough: H Andersen, S Simota, K Bjerre, M Risager, D King, H Moller, C Vissing.