First things first for Bandits

Scunthorpe first … then attention can turn to the cup semi-final.

That’s the message that will be drilled into the R.E.D Bandits, powered by STS riders in the build-up to tomorrow night’s visit of the Championship’s joint leaders to Shielfield Park (7pm).

It’s a huge week for the Bandits, one of the biggest in the last decade, with the MAXICab Cup semi-final taking place at Poole on Wednesday night with the deciding leg at Berwick three nights later.

With a BSN Series semi against Redcar to look forward to it is already shaping up to be a season like no other but the cherry on top of the icing on the cake would be to make a clean sweep of semis and reach the play-offs too.

To do so we need to extend our 100 per cent home record in all competitions against the Scorpions who have already won at Redcar and drawn at Edinburgh in addition to beating Glasgow and Berwick at the Eddie Wright Raceway.

Tonight’s scheduled visit by Scunthorpe to Ashfield was called off which means that even the aggregate bonus point tomorrow would put Scunthorpe top of the table ahead of Poole.

Of course with former Edinburgh Monarch Josh Pickering, a rider who has done damage both to the Bandits and the safety fence on previous visits to Shielfield, in their ranks they are hopeful of more.

Scunthorpe raised some eyebrows by signing Pickering on an 11.64 average but he has more than lived up to the hype with a string of high double figure scores home and away. He missed Thursday’s Premiership victory by Jye Etheridge’s Sheffield at Northampton on Thursday night due to commitments in Poland but is back in the Borders tomorrow.

Alfie Bowtell guests for European under-19 challenger Luke Harrison and the Scorpions use rider-replacement for the injured Dan Gilkes. Ryan Ingram, the 16-year-old who has made a big impact in his debut season in the Championship, makes his Shielfield debut.

“The sole focus tomorrow is securing league points against Scunthorpe,” team manager Stewart Dickson, who worked his magic to pull back an eight-point deficit in last week’s edge-of-the-seat last heat victory over Glasgow said.

“Scunthorpe have already won at Redcar and drawn at Edinburgh and we know what Josh Pickering and Connor Mountain in particular are capable of around Shielfield and there’s a couple of riders who are unknown quantities.

“But really it is a question of every Berwick rider concentrating on doing their own job.

“As long as that happens the result will come. Then we can think about Poole on Wednesday.”

Tickets for tomorrow night at on sale here The alternative is to pay cash at the turnstiles. Gates open at 6pm, Greg Blair leads the parade at 6.50 and the first race is 7pm.

Looking ahead to Wednesday’s cup match, both sides will be without their number ones due to their involvement in Danish League matches that evening.

Chris Harris guests for Richard Lawson in the Pirates line-up while Glasgow team-mate Leon Flint sports the Bandits’ number one normally reserved for Peter Kildemand.

Season pass holders should also note that their tickets are not valid for the second leg on Saturday. Details on special admission rates for them are outlined in tomorrow’s copy of our matchday magazine The Dirt!

Pictures: Keith Hamblin