IPSWICH Witches look certain to pocket the aggregate bonus point at least when they ride at Belle Vue tonight in the Sky Sports Elite League.The Suffolk side thrashed the Manchester-based outfit 65-25 in the corresponding fixture at Foxhall Stadium last month.

By Elvin King

IPSWICH Witches look certain to pocket the aggregate bonus point at least when they ride at Belle Vue tonight in the Sky Sports Elite League.

The Suffolk side thrashed the Manchester-based outfit 65-25 in the corresponding fixture at Foxhall Stadium last month.

The Witches have already had two attempts to ride in Manchester this year ruined by rain, and a Belle Vue insider last night predicted that the chances of making it third time lucky were no more than 50-50 - with more rain forecast for the Lancashire area.

Ipswich will be tracking a full-strength side if the meeting goes ahead, with team manager Mike Smillie able to make a rare away meeting after being forced by work commitments to miss most of the more recent trips.

The Aces are bottom of the table, and set for their worst-ever campaign. They have lost six meetings at Kirkmanshulme Lane already in 2007, and with Grand Prix rider Antonio Lindback out with a wrist injury the Witches have a chance to improve their away form.

“It will be a big blow if we fail to collect the aggregate bonus point,” said Smillie. “We are capable of winning, and this would see us move among both Reading and Eastbourne, and with a chance of moving further up the table.”

Poles Zibi Suchecki and Marcin Rempala may struggle round the tight Belle Vue track, but if the rest of the side can rise to the occasion it could be a good night for the Witches against a side that have little top-end power.

Championship-chasing Swindon have five riders with averages higher than the top Belle Vue team member!

New Swedish signing Billy Forsberg has yet to make his Aces debut because of a hand injury, and Redcar's Josh Auty is ruled out as a replacement because of a wrist knock.

Number eight Joe Parsons therefore comes into the side.

Tonight's likely line-ups

Belle Vue: Rider replacement for A Lindback, J Wright, J Screen, K Doolan, S Stead, J Parsons, A Skornicki.

Ipswich: JB Jensen, K Jansson, C Louis, Z Suchecki, R Miskowiak, M Rempala, T Kroner.

WITCHES skipper Chris Louis took on a new media role on Saturday when he was the pit interviewer in Sky Sports' presentation of the World Cup final won by home nation Poland in Leszno.