FORD CONTENT TO BE UNDERDOGS

Matt Ford has called on his Volvo Cars Poole Pirates side to relish their underdogs tag and keep alive the club’s hopes of a platinum season title triumph.

The Pirates go into tomorrow’s SGB Premiership play-off semi-final first leg against Somerset having lost four of their six meetings against the Rebels this season.

But with Ford having declared Nicolai Klindt fit, the Dane having overcome a hand injury sustained while riding for Workington on Friday, the Pirates promoter has urged his septet to prove the doubters wrong.

Ford said: “It’s unusual for us to be labelled the underdogs. We’ve had so much success down the years and people expect Poole to be in the play-offs every season.

“But we’ve certainly not had things our own way this season and it’s been extremely difficult at times. So this is new territory for us going into a huge meeting like this and not being the favourites, but I know the boys are keen to prove to people that we’re still a side to be feared.”

Rebels pair Jason Doyle and Bradley Wilson-Dean have been named in the home side’s line-up despite their horror crash against Belle Vue in the Knockout Cup last week, while former Pirate Jack Holder is in good form having banked 10 points against the Aces on Wednesday.

Ford added: “We’re under no illusions that this is going to be a tough couple of meetings. Somerset have been consistently good all season, but I think the two sides are evenly-matched so I expect things to go down to the wire in the second leg.”

The Pirates host the second leg at Wimborne Road on October 1.

Rebels: 1 Jason Doyle, 2 Bradley Wilson-Dean, 3 Nico Covatti, 4 Richard Lawson, 5 Jack Holder, 6 Jake Allen, 7 Aaron Summers. Team manager: Garry May.

Pirates: 1 Brady Kurtz, 2 Kacper Woryna, 3 Josh Grajczonek, 4 Nicolai Klindt, 5 Chris Harris, 6 Richie Worrall, 7 Frederik Jakobsen. Team manager: Neil Middleditch.