PRECIOUS POINTS SOUGHT AGAINST THE DIAMONDS

Top of the table hugging Poole will look to pull clear of the four other clubs that sit on 31 points, when they host Newcastle Diamonds on Wednesday (25th August) night.

After squandering a match-winning position on Friday night at Redcar, gaining just one point for their efforts, the Pirates still managed to sneak into top spot, albeit by virtue of race points difference, a favourable statistic enhanced greatly due to their 61-29 demolition of the Diamonds  at Brough Park at the beginning of the month.

Most fans will be eager to see if Benjamin Basso can build on the bright start he made to his Poole career - netting five points including his first race win on these shores and registering the fastest time of the night at Redcar - when he makes his Wimborne Road debut on Wednesday.

Poole boss Dan Ford claims "Benjamin settled in well on Friday and anyone who was there can only have been impressed with the way he adapted. He certainly has plenty about him and I am sure he will want to put on a showing in front of a greater number of Poole fans. 

"We have gone unbeaten at home so far this season and it is our intention to keep things that way. I guess many will be expecting us to repeat what we did on Newcastle's own patch when we meet against on Wednesday , but the important message is that we cannot afford to think the result will be a given. We have seen too much this year of us taking our foot off the gas when in a commanding position and that has cost us precious league points.

"Of course, we are pleased to be sat at the top of the table right now but in all honesty we should be doing so with a more comfortable cushion than just race points. We need to really push on now and not give our opponents and more offerings."

Poole face a busy run of fixtures over the course of the next ten days or so, beginning with Wednesday's visit of Newcastle. On Friday they make a re-scheduled trip to Edinburgh, one of the clubs sharing the same number of league points as the Pirates, and return to Wimborne Road for a Sunday afternoon (5pm) start against Birmingham. It will be the Brummies too, that kick start Poole's September fixtures as the Pirates make a rare Wednesday night trip to the second city on the first of the month before a Friday evening showdown between the present top two sides as Glasgow provide the opposition on an off-race night at Wimborne Road.

Teams:

Poole - 1 Rory Schlein; 2 Benjamin Basso; 3 Steve Worrall; 4 Stefan Nielsen; 5 Danny King (capt); 6 Ben Cook; 7 Danyon Hume - Team manager Neil Middleditch

Newcastle  - 1 Ben Barker; 2 Rider Replacement; 3 James Wright; 4 Max Clegg; 5 Connor Mountain; 6 Archie Freeman; 7 Adam Roynon - Team manager Steve Pate