TABLE TOPPERS POOLE CHOOSE THE STARS

With King's Lynn failing in their quest for a draw at Belle Vue tonight (Monday), the Pirates have been confirmed as top of the table finishers and earned the right to choose their play-off semi-final opponents.

Long-time league leaders King's Lynn were defeated by Belle Vue 48-42 and whilst that gained them one league point, their final tally of 70 points only equalled that of the Pirates. And with Poole having a far greater race points advantage it means the Pirates have officially finished top of the table.

Poole boss Matt Ford immediately revealed that the club had chosen King's Lynn as their preferred semi-final opponents and would travel to Norfolk in the first leg on Monday 29th September with the return at Wimborne Road on October 6th. On those same dates Coventry and Swindon will contest the second semi-final.

Ford explained "It was a difficult choice to make but having weighed everything up we felt that we might just have a better chance against King's Lynn than Coventry, despite us having won at Coventry last Monday. I felt that maybe we were a bit fortunate in that they (Coventry) lost Kyle Howarth so early in that meeting and we took the advantage from that.  Overall I think that our lads are marginally more suited to King's Lynn but in choosing them in no way are we saying the task is going to be easy.

"We saw tonight how hard they pushed Belle Vue and I know for sure they will be keen to avenge for the defeat we inflicted there in August."

The first v second semi-final could well be decided by which side can get the more suited guests as both sides will be without their recognised number ones as Darcy Ward is currently under suspension and Niels-Kristian Iversen has seen his season curtailed through injury. The Pirates should be in a position to welcome back Przemyslaw Pawlicki and Vaclav Milik from their recent injuries, but will need cover for Josh Grajczonek who was injured at the Premier League Riders' Championship on Sunday at Sheffield.

King's Lynn have additional injury concerns with Kenneth Bjerre and Lewis Rose both currently out.