NOTHING more than four points will do this weekend as the Basingstoke Bison look to keep themselves on track to finish top of the English Premier League cup group standings.

This would give the Herd home ice advantage for the second leg of both the semi-final and final.

If the Herd take maximum points from this weekend and Guildford were to lose at Telford, it would set up a winner takes all clash with the Peterborough Phantoms next month to decide the group’s winners.

Standing in the way of the Herd this weekend is a visit from arch local rivals the Bracknell Bees on Saturday (6.30pm) and then a trip to the Hull Pirates on Sunday (5.30pm).

No derby game with the Bees is ever easy and Bracknell have already beaten the Bison this season, when the sides met at the Hive.

They will buzz into Basingstoke looking for an early season double, but the Herd have been awesome on home ice and last weekend beat the Sheffield Steeldogs 5-0 as Tomas Hiadlovsky recorded his first shut-out of the season.

Saturday’s game will see a charity collection for the St Michael’s Hospice and the under-nine Bison in action in the first interval.

Sunday's trip to Hull will have added spice after the Pirates signed a new import netminder Marty Raitums this week and this will be his home debut.

The Herd will be keen to bounce back after their loss in Guildford on Sunday and are expected to be at full strength Bison head coach Doug Sheppard said: "After last weekend we need to play two good back-to-back games and get the results we need. Both games are going to be tough."