LAKESIDE Hammers have two important meetings this week and are looking to get over the disappointments from last weekend when they lost their unbeaten home League record to Swindon on Friday evening and then had their Knockout Cup match down at Eastbourne called off due to the weather.

The action starts again for the Hammers this evening (Monday) when they travel up to Wolverhampton for the restaging of a Sky Sports Elite League match against the Wolves following the original attempt to stage it on July 7 falling foul of the weather. Then, on Wednesday they are at home in the Cup to Eastbourne.

The Hammers go into both matches minus two of their riders – Andreas Jonsson and Finn Joonas Kylmakorpi.

Jonsson was injured in a crash in a Polish League match yesterday. He suffered severe bruising but is looking to be fit enough to take his place in the Swedish Grand Prix in his homeland this coming Saturday.

The Hammers Team Manager, Jon Cook, set about attempting to find guest replacements for the Hammers Swedish star as soon as he heard about the injury.

For tonight his task was not made easier by the fact that most of the top riders ride also in Poland on Sunday’s and Sweden on Tuesday’s and were not prepared to come over to this Country to take a guest booking.

After numerous telephone calls he has now managed to book in Eastbourne’s Edward Kennett but is still working on finding a guest for Wednesday’s home match. Kylmakorpi’s rides will be covered tonight utilising the ‘Rider Replacement’ facility and that will allow Jonas Davidsson and Leigh Lanham to take an additional ride with the reserves Ricky Kling and Lubos Tomicek covering the remaining two.

The Club’s official No8 Kauko Nieminen is not available to ride at Wolverhampton this evening as he has to ride for his Premier League side Workington in their match away at Edinburgh. However Cook is looking at the possibility of using Nieminen for Wednesday’s Cup match against the Eagles as cover for the injured Finn.

The Hammers home meeting at their Arena-Essex Raceway against Eastbourne on Wednesday will now become the first leg of the Semi Final of the Elite League Knockout Cup following the postponement of the scheduled first leg at Eastbourne last Saturday.

The away leg at Eastbourne will now become the second leg and a date for that is still to be confirmed.

The action gets underway at the Arena-Essex Raceway on Wednesday at 8pm, although there will be a series of junior heats commencing at 6.45pm.