PREVIEW: REDCAR v POOLE (KOC FINAL)

REDCAR host the first leg of the Championship KO Cup Final as holders Poole visit the Ecco Arena tonight (Friday).

The Pirates took the silverware in 2021 and the Bears were the most recent winners prior to that in 2019.

Both teams are at full strength with Jason Edwards returning from injury for the home side and reverting to reserve with Kasper Andersen moving back into the top five.

Redcar No.1 Erik Riss said: “We need to aim for a double-figure lead and we cannot afford to start the meeting slowly.

“If you get off to a good start you want to build on that and get a bigger lead but if you start slowly and you are behind after a few races it can be hard to bounce back, although as we have proved before, it’s not impossible.

“Poole are a really tough team, they have a strong side throughout. I watched their meeting at Glasgow and they were really strong. We are aware they are a good side but in speedway, you never know!”

Pirates co-promoter Danny Ford said: “The team are feeling good about the task in hand, but they are also all savvy enough to know that Redcar will be a strong obstacle in our way towards completing our season’s goals.

“They have proved particularly strong at producing comebacks, especially on their home shale, so we will have to be 100 per cent focused on Friday. It is not going to be easy but the Pirate boys feed on that and I think this should be a good meeting.”

REDCAR: Erik Riss, Kasper Andersen, Charles Wright, Jordan Jenkins, Lewis Kerr, Kyle Newman, Jason Edwards.
POOLE: Danny King, Ben Cook, Steve Worrall, Drew Kemp, Richard Lawson, Zach Cook, Nathan Ablitt.

*LIVE STREAMING: https://www.redcar-speedway.tv