PREVIEW: PIRATES DETERMINED TO MAKE A POINT....AT LEAST!

It will be a case of throwing the calculators away on Wednesday should the Pirates retain their unbeaten home record this season, when they host the visit of current second placed Redcar Bears.

Just a single point would put Poole out of the reach of the remaining three sides - Glasgow,  Leicester and the Bears - that aspire to avoid the quarter final stages of the play- offs.

But should the Pirates lose the proud record of being the only British side in the two senior leagues to be unbeaten on home shale in 2021, then they would remain red- hot favourites to earn the right to choose their semi- final opponents,  as neither of those three rival sides can overtake the Pirates total of 46 points. Behind that tally the Dorset side presently boast a race point advantage of 192 points.

Redcar would be unable to better that, even if they were to collect the four league points that they could pick up,  nor would Glasgow even with home wins over Leicester on Wednesday and Birmingham, Friday, unless they were by near record scores.

The Leicester Lions require maximum league points with staggering points differentials if they were to deny the Pirates that top spot finish, but by the time the Pirates take to track for their final league fixture those slim hopes for the Lions could be dashed should they fail to collect a big away win at Kent on Tuesday.

Poole promoter Dan Ford is happy with the situation the Pirates find themselves in.  "We are very close to achieving our first goal and be confirmed as the top team from the regular league campaign. It would take a string of very surprising results for us not to do so, but we will be going into Wednesday's meeting with the same approach that we have had all season,  to win it, then all the ifs and buts can be put aside.

"But we will be under no illusion that things will be easy. We saw what Redcar are capable of when we let them back into the meeting at their place, so will give them the respect they deserve but with the view to sending them home pointless."

Poole should have Rory Schlein back after the retiring Aussie was forced to miss the Pirates last two matches due to being under isolation rules following his positive Covid-19 test, and Ford is hoping that Dane Ben Basso will also be back after he missed Saturday's Cup semi-final first leg at Leicester suffering the effects of a rib injury, he sustained during the Danish League Super Playoffs last week.

Anders Rowe will guest in place of the injured Stefan Nielsen, the Swindon- based youngster having himself served a second spell on the sidelines but only to get back racing again, something that has pleased Ford because,  as he explains,  guests have been hard to find.  "We have found it hard to find suitable cover for Stefan,  in fact his value to the team has been near irreplaceable. Finding riders that fit and being mindful of all the conditions regarding eligibility for rider to guest have given us only a small pool of riders to select from,  so having Anders back ready to race again has been a bit of relief and it is fingers crossed that Ben (Basso) will be back too, as rider replacement does have its flaws.

Rowe, who would be eligible to cover Basso's rides should the Dane be declared unfit, scored paid six for the Pirates in his guest performance against Plymouth in Poole's last Wimborne Road appearance. This time around he will be up against the side that released him just ahead of the transfer deadline as they brought in Lewis Kerr once the former Pirate became available after Eastbourne's withdrawal.

Teams:
Poole - 1 Rory Schlein; 2 Ben Basso (if fit); 3 Steve Worrall; 4 Ben Cook; 5 Danny King (capt); 6 Anders Rowe (Guest); 7 Danyon Hume. Team manager: Neil Middleditch
Redcar - 1 Charles Wright (capt); 2 James Sarjeant; 3 Jake Allen; 4 Lewis Kerr; 5 Michael Palm-Toft; 6 Ryan Kinsley; 7 Jordan Jenkins. Team manager Jade Mudgway