IPSWICH ‘Sackers’ Witches will be hoping to keep their excellent home form going against injury-hit Newcastle Diamonds

IPSWICH ‘Sackers’ Witches will be hoping to keep their excellent home form going against injury-hit Newcastle Diamonds tonight.

The Foxhall side have had some strong results on their own circuit, despite injuries to Chris Schramm and Morten Risager.

And tonight they come up against a Newcastle side who have already seen No.1 Rene Bach suffer a broken leg and collarbone victim Mark Lemon on the injured list.

To compound what appears to be a plethora of injuries in the sport, the Witches have on-going worries over Lasse Bjerre, who crashed in Denmark on Monday night, although they are hoping he will be fit.

“ Lasse flew in yesterday and will let us know if his knee will be OK,” team boss Pete Simmon said.

And on the Witches current home form, Simmons added.

“Our home form has been excellent since our hiccup against Somerset earlier on in the season, but away from home we have been struggling big time and that must be sorted if we are to maintain our high Premier League position.

“Newcastle’s Stuart Robson always give 110% whenever he rides and enjoys riding our track which is a worry with our current injuries decimating our squad.”

Ipswich turn once more to Berwick’s Kozza Smith to take the place of Risager, while Newcastle look to local boy Leigh Lanham as a guest replacement for Lemon.

The Witches can’t afford to drop home points, with their away form in such a shocking state at the moment. And currently they sit in fourth place in the table.

Tonight’s teams

Ipswich Witches 1. Kevin Doolan (C) 8.45, 2. Taylor Poole 6.21, 3. R/R, 4. Kozza Smith, 5. Lasse Bjerre 6.75, 6. Jerran Hart 4.18, 7. Chris Mills 5.33, 8. Lewis Blackbird/Joe Jacobs.

Newcastle Diamonds 1. Leigh Lanham 9.22, 2. Derek Sneddon (C) 5.34, 3. Jason King 5.80, 4. Stuart Robson 8.71, 5. Claes Nedermark 7.00, Kyle Newman 3.66, 7. Richie Worrall 3.46.

THE Witches’ KOC first round, second leg meeting at Scunthorpe has been re-arranged for Friday July 1, with the PL meeting for Friday, August 5.