PREVIEW: PIRATES' LOOKING FOR MORE OF THE SAME WHEN THEY MEET OXFORD AGAIN THIS WEEK

Anticipation levels are rising as the Poole 'Wessex Marine' Pirates seek to achieve a 2024 trophy treble as they face the Oxford Cheetahs in the SCB Cab Direct Championship Knockout Cup final over two legs this week.

After staging the club's best ever play off recovery in last week's league title race, overturning a twelve point deficit against the Cheetahs, the stage is set for another thrilling meeting at Wimborne Road on Wednesday night.

Poole promoter Dan Ford said "Last Wednesday was an unbelievable night and will live with us all for a very long time. The atmosphere generated was off the scale and as the riders all admitted the enthusiasm, support and wall of sound from our passionate supporters certainly fired us on to that incredible victory. It was no coincidence that Toby (Tobias Thomsen) achieved his best score of the season as he clearly thrives on the atmosphere and whilst the dynamics will be a bit different on Wednesday as it will only be the halfway stage in the tie, I would certainly welcome our fans getting right behind the lads again as we go in search of the treble."
"There can be no doubt that Oxford will want to make amends and come out with some silverware themselves this season, but if you don't know it by now, let me just say that we are hungry for all competitions and to make it a treble this season would just be awesome."

Whilst Poole will be unchanged from the septet that lifted the club's eleventh league title under Matt Ford's stewardship, Oxford are forced into a brace of changes, both at reserve, with Luke Killeen having been withdrawn from last week's second leg with concussion facing a mandatory stand-down, and Jody Scott, having been a regular 'go-to' as a replacement for injured Adam Roynon, is still feeling the effects of his heat eight crash last week. Redcar's Ben Trigger will make the short trip from his West Country home to cover for Roynon whilst for this first leg and Jack Smith will assume Killeen's role for both legs.

The two sides will conclude the cup final at Sandy Lane on Thursday

Teams
Poole (TM Neil Middleditch) 1 Richard Lawson 2 Sam Hagon 3 Ben Cook (Capt) 4 Zach Cook 5 Tom Brennan 6 Tobias Thomsen 7 Vinnie Foord
Oxford (TM Peter Schroeck) 1 Sam Masters 2 Ashton Boughen 3 Cameron Heeps 4 Dan Gilkes (Guest)5 Scott Nicholls (Capt) 6 Jack Smith (Guest) 7 Ben Trigger (Guest)