HOME rule will be the order of the day when Basingstoke Bison face local rivals Bracknell Bees on Saturday.

Another bumper crowd is expected for the derby day battle, which starts at 6.30pm, with the Herd keen to extend their winning home record to five games against the basement dwellers of the English Premier League.

However, the Bees have already stung the Bison this season, beating them on home ice in October, but the last two games have seen the Bison come out on top.

The last time in Bracknell, it went all the way to a penalty shoot-out, with Ryan Watt one of the shooters to miss for Bracknell.

On Saturday he will face his former team-mates wearing a Bison shirt after signing last week and he is sure to add extra spice to a game, if any was needed.

The Herd hope to have defenceman Joe Baird back for this weekend, but his brother Brendan and Grant Rounding, both summer signings from Bracknell, will once again sit out the weekend, as will Matt Selby.

Looking ahead to the game against the Bees, Bison player/coach Doug Sheppard said: “We have to make sure we are ready from the first puck drop, as Bracknell are a hard-working team and will not just give us the win.”

On Sunday (face-off 5.30pm), the Herd travel to Altrincham to face the Manchester Phoenix, for the leatest game in a series that has been dominated by the home side to this point.

When the sides last met in Basingstoke a fortnight ago, the Bison came out on top, while the last game in Altrincham was on the first weekend of 2015 and saw the Phoenix win it after a penalty shoot-out.

Looking ahead to the Phoenix game Sheppard said: “Manchester have some good players and I don’t see them as a sixth-placed side. We got a point on our last visit there and I want us to get two this time around.”