Bandits wait on Nick

Nick Morris faces a key Friday fitness test hours before the R.E.D Bandits, powered by STS begin a crunch weekend of fixtures.

The Australian – who is enjoying his best scoring run since returning from a two-year absence – has been named in the Berwick side which travels to Edinburgh on Friday night and hosts Redcar at Shielfield Park the following evening.

But he is missing from Leicester’s Premiership line-up at Ipswich on Thursday and it was in Lions’ colours that he crashed heavily along with team-mate that night but potential opponent on Friday night Dan Thompson.

Morris found unwanted drive after turning tight on the first bend at Northampton and both riders crashed heavily into the polyfoam barrier which, at Britain’s newest speedway, shields a steel Armco barrier and earth banking making for a solid landing point.

He suffered ankle injuries and while both hobbled away from the crash before withdrawing from the meeting, Thompson initially declared himself fit for tomorrow (Thursday) in the Premiership but subsequently withdrew.

While alternatives are on standby, Berwick obviously would prefer to have Morris declare that the troublesome ankle will allow him to make the starting seven on Friday as his last appearance at Armadale was a 15-point maximum followed by a sixth win on the night in the bonus-point deciding Super Heat, guesting for Glasgow.

He’s also scored paid 16 and paid nine guesting for Edinburgh and led the Bandits’ resistance with paid 12 in the BSN Series defeat in West Lothian earlier in the season.

Another Bandit who ended Monday battered and bruised, Jordan Jenkins, was originally named in the weekend teams having withdrawn from King’s Lynn’s Monday night loss at Sheffield after being unceremoniously dumped into the Sheffield air fence by the man who would have been his captain this weekend, Jye Etheridge.

Oxford’s Dayle Wood – who scored double figures at Armadale this season both as a guest for the Bandits and with the Cheetahs, guests. While Jack Smith made his own comeback from injury at Buxton on Sunday.

Both weekend opponents are also forced into changes with Jordy Loftus still sidelined by a concussion picked up at Poole on August 5. As a 17-year-old the Australian, who had justified Edinburgh’s long-term faith in his ability by scoring freely in the meetings leading up to the crash, has to spend a minimum of 19 days on the sidelines as opposed to just nine days for riders over 17.

Loftus and fellow reserve Mitchell Cluff had given Edinburgh a real cutting edge, especially at home where the Monarchs have dropped just two points – draws against Scunthorpe and Glasgow – this season.

New Zealand champion and Monarchs Academy man Ben Whalley, who also signed for Championship Plymouth last month, guests for Loftus.

On Saturday Redcar are without Jake Mulford who is racing in the world longtrack championship and they use rider-replacement for the 22-year-old.

Boss Gavin Parr also tweaks his race order with Jake Allen – who has found points hard to come by on previous visits to Shielfield – trading the number five berth with Jason Edwards who most certainly hasn’t.

They also have a potential sting in the tail with Simon Lambert and Ace Pijper forming a reserve pairing which certainly knows its way around the circuit, although Lambert has struggled for points all season, initially at Scunthorpe and then following his switch to Cleveland.

With Berwick in need of a perfect weekend to set up a play-off shootout the stakes could not be higher.

Tickets for Saturday are on sale now. Book here and don’t forget the opportunity to win one of the legendary Golden Tickets on the Bandits’ Facebook and Instagram pages

Bandits: Peter Kildemand, Jye Etheridge, Victor Palovaara, Dayle Wood, Nick Morris, Jack Smith, Reid Battye

Monarchs: Dan Thompson, Jonatan Grahn, Justin Sedgmen, Paco Castagna, Kye Thomson, Mitch Cluff, Ben Whalley

Bears: Charles Wright, R/R Jake Mulford, Jody Scott, Jake Allen, Jason Edwards, Simon Lambert, Ace Pijper

Pictures: Keith Hamblin, Meg Shootz, Colin Poole