Speedway: Injured Nick Morris to miss crucial Sheffield play off at Leicester as Maciej Janowski steps in
Nick Morris is set to miss Sheffield’s crucial Rowe Motor Oil play-off second leg at Leicester - but a big name is lined up to take his place.
Morris is ruled out after suffering a dramatic fourth bend fall in the 14th heat of Tuesday’s 46-43 home win at Owlerton on Thursday.
But in his place, the club has brought in Polish international and former Grand Prix rider Maciej Janowski.
Tigers bosses say former World number three Janowski is a friends and former team-mates of Tigers number three Chris Holder - and the pair will be partnered together in the line-up for Monday’s second leg.
The Tru7 Group Tigers captain Josh Pickering is looking to draw inspiration from his side’s overall performance across the first 12 heats of the first leg as well as their away victory at table toppers Ipswich in their final fixture before the play-offs.
He said: “Our backs might be against the wall a little bit but we’ve battled on all year and we’ve got results when sometimes people don’t expect us to.
“Not many predicted us to go to Ipswich the other week and beat them at home with their full strength side.
“We’re going into Heat One at Leicester with a three point lead - and a lead is a lead, we could be in a much worse situation.
“There’s still 15 heats of racing to go, we’ve got plenty to race for and we’ll be doing everything we can.”
Leicester manager Stewart Dickson does not think the tie is over.
He said: “I was obviously a lot more relieved at the end of the meeting on Thursday compared to what I was, but I don’t think this tie is finished by any means.
“Sheffield can do what Leicester did and run us really, really close, or turn us over, so my boys need to be on their game.
“I mean all seven, not just four or five. I need all seven on it. There were a couple of boys who were disappointed with their performances on Thursday, but I said to them, ‘you now have a chance to put it right on Monday night, and give us an even better chance of getting through.’
“If we can get seven scorers rather than what we had on Thursday, I think we’ve got a really good chance – but my final words will be, it’s not over yet!”
Leicester: Max Fricke, Luke Becker, Ryan Douglas, Kyle Howarth, Sam Masters, Drew Kemp, Joe Thompson.
Sheffield: Jack Holder, Leon Flint, Chris Holder, Maciej Janowski, Josh Pickering, Anders Rowe, Jye Etheridge.