IT’S make or break over the next three nights for Newport Mike Manning Audio Wasps as they bid to salvage their season with British Premier League Knockout Cup glory.

The Wasps are out of contention for league honours, but are certainly not without hope of getting past quarter-final opponents Ipswich Witches.

The teams clash in a first-leg meeting tonight in Suffolk with the return scheduled to take place at Newport's Queensway Meadows Stadium home on Saturday night - tapes up at 7.00pm.

Ipswich, who are in their debut season at this level after dropping down from the Elite League for financial reasons, are favourites to progress - having already completed a league double over the Wasps in 2011.

They won 52-40 at Newport in April before emerging 49-41 victors in the home return in June.

However the Wasps have won three of their last four fixtures in recent weeks with Ipswich team manager Pete Simmons all too aware that tonight's visitors have a strong top quartet.

"In tracking Jason Doyle, Charlie Gjedde, Leigh Lanham & Justin Sedgmen, they look quite a handful for our top boys to cope with," explained Simmons.

"That means both our reserves (Jerran Hart and Chris Mills) must step up to the mark to see us in with a fighting chance of the overall victory."

Hart is no stranger to Wasps fans, the 20-year-old was part of the 2008 side which was forced to disband following the death of then-Newport promoter Tim Stone in April of that year.

Both team managers see the Knockout Cup as the only competition left which their sides can realistically win with Wasps' Kevin Brown clear that his side must do well enough tonight to remain in the hunt in the second leg.

"If we can't win tonight, then it goes without saying that we must restrict Ipswich to as smaller an advantage as possible," Brown remarked.

"We won't be overawed at Ipswich and everyone in our team is very much aware that there is a lot riding on this because the cup is now our only hope of winning anything this season."

The main thrust of Ipswich's threat will come from Australian ace Kevin Doolan while Wasps skipper Leigh Lanham will want to shine at his home-town track.

Ipswich Witches (from) Lasse Bjerre, Kevin Doolan, Jerran Hart, Chris Mills, Taylor Poole, Morten Risager, Matt Tressarieu.

Newport Mike Manning Wasps (from) Robin Aspegren, Jason Doyle, Charlie Gjedde, Mark Jones, Todd Kurtz, Leigh Lanham; Justin Sedgmen. Start 7.30pm.

* British National League side Newport Drillerman Hornets are at Scunthorpe Saints on Friday night, when new signings Brendan Johnson and Steven Jones will make their club debuts.

* Score and scorers’ details from the Ipswich Witches v Newport Wasps Knockout Cup clash will appear here later tonight.