TEAM boss Cami Brown believes his side will need to “fight hard” to outgun Redcar.
The Allied Vehicles Tigers take on the Teessiders in the BSN Series semi-final, first leg at Ashfield on Friday night.
It will be the start of four meetings in a week which could define the entire season for Brown’s side.
He said: “We have seven very big days ahead. There’s definitely going to be a few nail-biting moments, it’s going to be tense.
“But this is what it’s all about. We all work all season to get to the sharp end of the campaign. Now we find out what our Tigers class of 2025 are made of.
“We are going to have to fight hard to beat Redcar over two legs. They are a great club and look in great shape right now as one of the form sides.
“They picked up an excellent result at Poole on Wednesday so we know this is going to be a very tough semi-final.
“We definitely need as many Tigers fans screaming for us over the next three home meetings.
“In my mind there’s nothing quite like Ashfield under the lights in the autumn when the big meetings come along. The atmosphere in this place can be sensational.
“It’s an old cliche to suggest that the fans can be the ‘eighth man’ but I do feel it’s true here.
“If we can turn Ashfield into a packed-out noisy cauldron, I know that it really inspires the boys that bit extra. And that could make all the difference.
“The next few days will all be about fine margins. Grabbing the vital third places for heat advantages. All the boys will need to deliver.”