PREVIEW: REDCAR v POOLE (MAXICAB KO CUP FINAL 2nd leg)

REDCAR face a 14-point deficit as they host holders Poole in the second leg of the MAXiCab Knockout Cup Final at the ECCO Arena tonight (Friday).

The Pirates put themselves into a commanding position on their home track on Wednesday, and they travel north-east in the knowledge that they were successful on Teesside in the league play-off semi-final under a week ago.

Poole are at full strength and are unchanged whilst Redcar bring in Leon Flint for long-term absentee Erik Riss, and Ben Trigger guests at reserve as Jody Scott serves out his mandatory concussion absence.

Bears co-promoter Jamie Swales said: “The boys can go out and be heroes. We know it’s quite a lead but we aren’t going to give up, that’s for certain.

“I actually thought we rode better than the (first leg) result. We were gating well but the Poole riders used their home track knowledge to get themselves into the lead coupled with a couple of slight mistakes by our boys.”

Poole have already won the Cup three times since joining the Championship in 2021, and team manager Neil  Middleditch is keen to further extend their silverware record.

He said: “I have been involved in speedway long enough to know that you can’t take anything for granted, and we will be going there with the same mindset they had on Sunday when they secured their place in the Grand Final.

“They went into that meeting determined to win it, and it will be the same missive this time.

“No doubt Redcar will be fired up. We have to be prepared for that, but we really do have the taste for winning trophies and I would love to have another one to add to my collection by Heat 15.”

REDCAR: Charles Wright, Jake Mulford, Jason Edwards, Leon Flint, Danny King, Ben Trigger, Ace Pijper.

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

SCB Referee: Chris Gay

*LIVE STREAMING: https://watch.britishspeedway.co.uk