PREVIEWING: SCUNTHORPE SCORPIONS v POOLE PIRATES - PLAY OFF GROUP FIXTURE

Dan Ford has described Friday's night trip to Scunthorpe for his Wessex Marine Pirates as the 'biggest task yet' if they are to maintain their proud record of being league champions each season since rejoining the second tier of British Speedway.

"We had hoped to have been going there with a lead to defend but our result at Wimborne Road last week has changed all that. Effectively it is a winners take all match on Friday for, without being disrespectful in any way to Edinburgh, I do believe that whoever wins this meeting will go on to win the group.  There is no question, we have a very high mountain to climb as we all know how well Scunthorpe go on their home track, although of course, we have won there this season in a thrilling match back in August, although it will be argued that Scunthorpe are a bit stronger this time around. But nevertheless we will take the positives from that result and performance and  effectively look at this week's fixture as a final in itself and I just know the lads will have 'Pirate Pride' running through their veins, determined to pull off a terrific result and keep our play-off dreams alive."

Both sides are set to be at full strength for Friday's fixture, with the Cook brothers both fit after their recent crashes and Richard Lawson still battling on despite a damaged ankle. As is the norm for these away northern fixtures Gary Havelock takes over the managerial duties from Neil Middleditch.

Teams
Scunthorpe 1 Ryan Douglas 2 Connor Mountain 3 Simon Lambert (Capt)  4 Jake Allen 5 Michael Palm-Toft 6 Drew Kemp 7 Nathan Ablitt Team manager Rob Godfrey
Poole 1 Richard Lawson  2 Anders Rowe 3 Ben Cook 4 Zach Cook 5 Steve Worrall (Capt) 6 Kyle Newman 7 Joe Thompson Team manager Gary Havelock