IPSWICH Evening Star Witches need three points from their final four meetings to confirm a top four finish in the Elite League table.And this would give then entry into the play-offs to decide the 2008 champions.

Elvin King

IPSWICH Evening Star Witches need three points from their final four meetings to confirm a top four finish in the Elite League table.

And this would give then entry into the play-offs to decide the 2008 champions.

But Witches rider/manager Chris Louis has his sights set on finishing in third place - and this means a victory in tonight's televised meeting at bottom-placed Wolverhampton (start 7.30pm).

“We can overtake Swindon,” said Louis, with the ACU still to decide on an Ipswich appeal over the legitimacy of the Robins team in their win at Foxhall earlier in the campaign. This could see Swindon lose two points and Ipswich gain one.

“To be sure of leaping over the Robins it would mean winning at Wolves and also at Peterborough next Monday. We are capable of doing both and it would then need a victory in one of our two home meetings in the double header on September 25.”

But after their fourth home league defeat of the year against Lakeside last Thursday, Ipswich have to keep a wary eye on Eastbourne, who are in fifth place.

The Eagles are two points adrift of the Witches with two home meetings left - against Coventry and Wolves with the date for the latter still unconfirmed.

If they were to beat them both; Ipswich would need three points - a win tonight - to confirm a play-off place.

Tobi Kroner is having treatment with top speedway physio Brian Simpson for a broken finger and Ipswich will use the rider replacement facility for him.

Jarek Hampel and Robert Miskowiak are set to return after missing the Lakeside defeat with Witches team manager Pete Simmons saying: “There is no question we would have beaten Lakeside with those two in the side.

“It was the riders who were not at Foxhall rather than those who were that lost us the Hammers meeting.”

Neither Hampel nor Piotr Swiderski can take an extra ride for Kroner tonight.

Two previous attempts to run this meeting have been rained off - with Wolves waiting on the fitness of Niels-Kristian Iversen, who has a shoulder problem.

Likely line-ups tonight

Wolverhampton: F Lindgren, M Risager, N-K Iversen, D Howe, J-B Monberg, N Klindt, L Lindgren.

Ipswich: P Swiderski, Rider replacement, J Hampel, R Miskowiak, R Schlein, S Johnston, C Schramm.