Preview: POOLE BOSS URGES FANS TO RALLY BEHIND THE PIRATES WHO HAVE 'WORK TO DO'

Heading into what will be one of Poole's biggest meetings for a number of years on Wednesday (9th October) the Poole 'Wessex Marine' Pirates may be down, but they are certainly not feeling out.

As they welcome the Oxford Cheetahs, the only visiting side to have secured a victory at Wimborne Road in the past two seasons, for the concluding leg of the Championship Grand Final, Poole promoter Dan Ford is calling on Poole fans from far and wide to come and see the action live.

"We’ve been in tough spots before, and this is no different. Yes, a 12-point deficit is a big ask, but it's not beyond us. The team is fired up and ready to fight for every single point on Wednesday night. The riders were disappointed with how things went at Oxford on Saturday, but they’ve taken that frustration and turned it into motivation. They want to make things right—for themselves, for the club, and especially for the supporters."

"We need every Pirate supporter at Wimborne Road. Your energy, your passion, your noise, when you're behind us, it makes all the difference. The lads feed off that, and in the biggest moments, it’s the fans that turn a meeting in our favour. We’ve seen it time and time again. If we’re going to overcome this 12-point gap, it’s going to take a huge team effort, on and off the track."

"We’ve got everything to race for, and we believe we can do it. Fill the stands, bring your voices, and let’s make Wimborne Road a fortress. Together, we can turn this around. Let’s show Oxford what Pirate Pride really means."

Both sides field the same personnel that went into action on Saturday at Sandy Lane where the Cheetahs pulled off a 51-39, thanks in the main to outscoring the Pirates 13-5 over the course of the final three heats, although Oxford make a positional switch with guest Dan Gilkes, covering for the injured Jordan Jenkins, changing places with Cameron Heeps. 

Teams: Poole (Team manager 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 (Team manager Peter Schroeck) 1 Sam Masters 2 Dan Gilkes (Guest) 3 Aston Boughen 4 Cameron Heeps 5 Scott Nicholls (Capt) 6 Luke Killeen 7 Jody Scott (Guest)