PREVIEW: POOLE v SCUNTHORPE (CAB DIRECT CHAMP)

HOLDERS Poole launch their defence of the Cab Direct Championship title when they host Scunthorpe at Wimborne Road tonight (Wednesday).

The Pirates have reached the BSN Series semi-finals but a home defeat to Oxford last week was the prelude to a team change, with Darryl Ritchings coming in at reserve to replace Matt Marson.

And co-promoter Dan Ford says his side need to learn from that meeting when they face a solid Scorpions outfit who racked up 61 points in their last home outing against Workington.

Ford said: “We simply weren’t good enough last week, we allowed Oxford to build a good advantage and that cost us dearly.

“We cannot afford that to happen again, we need to be stronger throughout the whole meeting and not stack so much pressure on the latter heats.

“Hopefully that loss will be our only one at home this season, the lads know that we are expecting that of them. I think the team talk has written itself to be honest.”

Pirates have switched riding order with captain Zach Cook going to No.5 and Lewis Kerr moving to No.4, whilst the Scorpions are unchanged from last week’s home victory, as they head to the venue where they clinched the KO Cup in 2023.

Promoter Rob Godfrey said: “It’s a long way to travel for us down to Poole on the South Coast. We’re not going all that way and simply accepting that we’re going to come off second best. We will go into the meeting with a positive attitude and see where that takes us.

“Poole’s home track is usually a bit of a fortress, but they lost their last meeting around there. They’ll be wanting to respond to that, but at the same time, we’ll be looking to continue their misery and come away from Wimborne Road with two Cab Direct Championship points on the board.”

POOLE: Richard Lawson, Tobias Thomsen, Anders Rowe, Lewis Kerr, Zach Cook, Paul Starke, Darryl Ritchings.

SCUNTHORPE: Steve Worrall, Luke Harrison, Simon Lambert, Connor Mountain, Jake Allen, Declan Kennedy, Zaine Kennedy.

SCB Referee: Seth Perkin

LIVE STREAMING: https://livestream.poole-speedway.com/