Lee Dicken has been riding in the Newport Mavericks team for only a few meetings - but the youngsters have already won him over to such an extent that he's put off an eye operation to help them try and reach the Conference League Knock-out Cup final.

Dicken, riding at reserve for the Wasps, is now doubling up with the Mavericks who take on Weymouth at home on Sunday in the return leg of the Conference League Cup, semi-final, trailing by only eight points from the first meeting.

The tapes-up are at 1pm on Sunday because the cup clash is followed by a league meeting with Weymouth, again the opposition in a double header.

The Mavericks are also in action at Oxford tonight, a meeting they may not win but should take the bonus point having floored the visitors 67-26 in early August.

Dicken, who began his second spell with Newport at the beginning of July, said: "It is the most important meeting of the season for young rides such as Billy (Legg), Sam (Hurst) and Danny (Warwick).

"I didn't have a particularly good meeting at Weymouth in the first leg but the youngsters really had the bit between their teeth.

"They really do want to get to the final and it is fantastic to be in that kind of environment and that really swayed me in making the decision.

"Hopefully I can be there for them and give them a big hand to get into the final, they deserve it.

"If we'd had two reserves like Billy and Sam in the Wasps all through the season then maybe we could have taken a few more scalps.

"But when you have back-up like that in the Mavericks it makes our job in the main body of the team much easier. You just cannot fault their effort."

And promoter Tim Stone is hoping that the achievement of the Mavericks to get so close to a place in the final will gain support. He said: "When we have staged double header meetings recently more than of half the crowd have stayed to watch the progress of the Mavericks.

"The enthusiasm and commitment to the sport - and the enthusiasm of the crowd - is tremendous and they deserve backing.

"In the Mavericks we always give young talent a chance, holding winter training schools which is where Sam and Billy began and they have progressed from there."

l Billy Legg was a surprise competitor in the Bronze Helmet meeting at Mildenhall on Sunday, replacing the injured Boston rider Justin Walker. Legg gained five points from as many rides after ending in the fence on his first outing and then failing to score.

But Legg picked things up when he finished second to home track rider Jon Armstrong and ahead of Mavericks teammate Karlis Ezergailis who finished the meeting on four points. Legg then got a third spot and finally was beaten by Wayne Carter (Scunthorpe) but he finished ahead of Darren Mallett (Boston).

Armstrong ended with a 15-point maximum but the event was won by the highly-rated Lewis Bridger who will be riding for Weymouth at the Hayley Stadium on Sunday, coming from behind to take Oxford's Jamie Courtney for the crown.