PREVIEW: POOLE v BIRMINGHAM (Cab Direct Champ)

POOLE host Birmingham at Wimborne Road tonight (Wednesday) as the battle for top spot in the Cab Direct Championship reaches a crucial stage.

The Pirates are one point behind Oxford with two matches remaining, although the Cheetahs’ final away match is at top-three rivals Glasgow next week.

Poole are at full strength whilst the Brummies bring in Josh Pickering to guest at No.1, with their play-off hopes severely hit by Edinburgh’s win at Plymouth on Tuesday as well as their own below-par home form.

Pirates promoter Dan Ford said: “We have got to keep the pressure on and so it is important that we keep our current form going. Both of our remaining fixtures are winnable but there is still work to do starting on Wednesday.

“Birmingham themselves have work to do to make the play-offs, so they will be coming here to try and upset the form book and give themselves a major boost.

“That is obvious in their choice of guest as Josh Pickering hit double figures when he was last here, and Justin Sedgmen has appeared here twice before this season and won races.”

POOLE: Richard Lawson, Kyle Newman, Ben Cook, Zach Cook, Steve Worrall, Anders Rowe, Joe Thompson.
BIRMINGHAM: Josh Pickering, Stefan Nielsen, Troy Batchelor, Alfie Bowtell, Justin Sedgmen, Sam Hagon, Paul Starke.