IPSWICH Witches will be looking to give their championship hopes a lift in the Elite League when they ride at Poole tonight.The Suffolk club have suffered in their last two matches, losing chances of gaining the aggregate bonus point in both the home fixture against Peterborough on Saturday and the meeting at Belle Vue on Monday in the last heat.

By Elvin King

IPSWICH Witches will be looking to give their championship hopes a lift in the Elite League when they ride at Poole tonight.

The Suffolk club have suffered in their last two matches, losing chances of gaining the aggregate bonus point in both the home fixture against Peterborough on Saturday and the meeting at Belle Vue on Monday in the last heat.

Poole are one of the strongest home sides in the league and it will take a superb effort by the visitors to claim a much-needed victory.

Ipswich skipper Chris Louis has said that his team needs at least two more victories on their travels if they are to finish in the top four at the end of the season and take part in the play-offs to determine the champions.

Poole were shocked at home on July 26 when Peterborough thrashed them 56-36 and Ipswich will be hoping that they can also spring a surprise.

That defeat for the Pirates was their biggest at Wimborne Road since Ipswich won there 64-26 in their 1998 treble winning campaign.

This A fixture was postponed on May 17 and the corresponding meeting at Foxhall Stadium resulted in a 50-40 victory for the Witches.

So they will be hunting for the aggregate bonus point, but even if they achieve this, it may not be enough and a victory is what they will be seeking.

Louis and fellow Brit Mark Loram have been in fine form in recent matches, but they need to be better supported if the Ipswich party are to return from their long journey from the south coast this evening with three points under their belt.

The Witches are expected to track the same side that lost at Belle Vue on Monday, while the Pirates have a doubt at number seven following the departure of former Ipswich rider Shaun Tacey.

Edinburgh rider Matthew Wethers is pencilled in to take his place but he was injured at the weekend and it remains to be seen whether he fills the number seven berth.

Otherwise Poole, who still fancy their chances of a play-off place, are expected to be at full strength.

To complete a busy time for Ipswich, they have a home fixture against table-topping Reading tomorrow when they will be out to take revenge after losing to the Bulldogs when the Berkshire side visited Suffolk in the A fixture earlier in the season.

Tonight's line-ups

Poole: B Pedersen, C Boyce, K Kasprzak, G Walesek, A Lindback, J Davidsson, A N Other.

Ipswich: P Protasiewicz, K Jansson, R Miskowiak, C Louis, M Loram, D King, T Kroner.