PREVIEW: PIRATES FACE TOUGH TASK FOR VALUABLE BONUS

The Poole 'Wessex Marine' Pirates are all but mathematically into the end of season play-offs but top spot is far from assured and to retain that place they almost certainly need points from their two remaining fixtures, the first of which comes at Plymouth on Saturday night.

But to get anything out of that contest, against the club that pushed them all the way at Wimborne Road on Wednesday, the Pirates have to set forty-three points as an absolute minimum. That would give them the aggregate bonus point, but they will have their sights set on trying to prevent the Gladiators from beating them three times at the Coliseum this year.

The sides have met in both the BSN Series, which finished in a two-point win for the hosts and then in KO Cup where the Gladiators quadrupled that margin of victory with a 49-41 result.

Looking ahead to Saturday's trip, Pirates skipper Zach Cook is hoping that recent guest appearances at the Coliseum from Paul Starke and Tobias Thomsen might prove valuable experience for the Poole side. "Both Paul and Toby have been down there recently and we will be using the information about the track that they will have picked up to hopefully get the right set-ups so we can defend the six points from our home leg."

The Pirates have again named an unchanged seven for the trip whilst the Gladiators have introduced Tom Spencer to their side as a permanent replacement for the injured Arran Butcher, who was introduced as cover for their Czech sensation Daniel Klima. 

Spencer will make his debut on Saturday The signing comes amidst positive news that Ben Barker, who took a heavy crash in heat seven on Wednesday at Wimborne Road did not sustain any breaks in the fall, but suffered a painful dislocation of his right shoulder and is undergoing extensive therapy treatment in a bid to be fit for Saturday night, whilst they are also hopeful of having Alfie Bowtell back in their side after his grasstrack crash last weekend. Again though, they will be without number one Nicolai Klindt, this time due to Polish engagements  but unlike Wednesday, they will not have a full guest facility as his Polish meeting is not until Sunday, so they can only use a rider up to 75% of Klindt's 8.69 average, which opens the door for Kye Thomson (5.78 average) to guest for them for a second successive Saturday.    

Plymouth (TM Garry May) 1 Kye Thomson (Guest) 2 Ben Barker (Capt) 3 Lasse Fredriksen 4 Joe Thompson 5 Scott Nicholls  6 Alfie Bowtell 7 Tom Spencer
Poole (TM Neil Middleditch) 1 Richard Lawson 2 Tobias Thomsen 3 Lewis Kerr 4 Zach Cook (Capt) 5 Anders Rowe 6 Paul Starke  7 William Cairns

Photo credit: Tony Hartmann