KING’S Lynn bring down the curtain on their 2025 ROWE Motor Oil Premiership season with the visit of title-chasing Sheffield on Monday (7.30pm).
The PSH Environmental Stars have won five out of their last six matches in a strong conclusion to the campaign, and they are looking to sign off with another win.
Although they have missed out on the play-offs, their current points total of 27 already comfortably exceeds last year, and victory on Monday could see them end up just seven points adrift of fourth-placed Belle Vue – with the points swing in those matches against the Aces clearly significant.
However, Sheffield will pose a serious test especially as the Tigers are still chasing top spot in the league table, and they require a strong run of results this week to achieve it.
The South Yorkshire side are on 38 points, five adrift of leaders Ipswich who they meet home and away on Wednesday and Thursday in the meetings which will prove decisive.
Sheffield won 48-42 on their previous visit to the AFA back in mid-May, although the crucial contribution in that match came from former Stars skipper Lewis Kerr who piled up 16+1 at reserve.
A team re-shuffle last month saw Kerr and Justin Sedgmen lose their places in favour of Nick Morris and Jye Etheridge, but there are still three former Stars in the Tigers’ ranks – Josh Pickering, Chris Holder and Anders Rowe.
The visitors have declared a new-look riding order under the September averages as Rising Star Leon Flint moves up into the top five after an impressive campaign, with Rowe dropping to reserve where he put in several excellent displays for Lynn last season.
The Stars are at full strength with an unchanged riding order, and the man in form at present is Richard Lawson who has struck double figures in five of his last six matches, including 13+1 in last Thursday’s win over Belle Vue.
Lawson was part of a 4-2 in Heat 15 which secured the aggregate point, and that is also a consideration on Monday as the Stars only lost by four points in the reverse fixture at Owlerton.
Lawson said: “We want to keep this momentum going and end the season on a high.
“I think everyone has done themselves proud, and since Ben (Cook) has come back it has made a big difference in the pits and on track.
“I’m feeling good on the bike, and it’s good to be winning as team. There is confidence throughout the team, and I just wish we’d had all our riders fit all at once at the beginning of the season, because it’s what could have been.”
KING’S LYNN: Jan Kvech, Niels-Kristian Iversen, Chris Harris, Richard Lawson, Nicolai Klindt, Ben Cook, Luke Harrison. SHEFFIELD: Jack Holder, Leon Flint, Chris Holder, Nick Morris, Josh Pickering, Anders Rowe, Jye Etheridge.
