PREVIEW: GLASGOW v POOLE (PO SF)

GLASGOW host Poole in the first leg of the second Championship play-off semi-final at Ashfield today (Sunday, 6pm).

A place in the Grand Final against Leicester awaits the winners, with the Tigers and the Pirates having decided the silverware last season in the Dorset side’s favour.

Glasgow race for the first time since an extensive break and will be without injured duo Ulrich Ostergaard and Danyon Hume, with Paul Starke coming in to guest at reserve.

The Pirates have hit top form of late with an emphatic aggregate win over Plymouth in the quarter-finals, and they have also reached the KO Cup Final at the expense of Leicester.

Tigers boss Cami Brown said: “We’re 100 per cent up for it. Poole will be looked at as favourites, however it’s what happens on the day, and we can be as good as them. I know we can do it if we perform to the best of our ability.

“If we get ahead we’ll be building as big a lead as we can, but even if it’s close going down to Poole, I don’t think we go there automatically thinking we’ll lose.

“And you just never know with speedway – it’s a strange sport, so hopefully we get the rub of the green.”

Pirates co-promoter Danny Ford said: “In our last few matches we have been flexing our muscles and have sent out a clear message that we are gunning for the Treble, but to be able to achieve that we can ill afford any slip-ups.

“There can be no doubt that we are facing a tough battle on Sunday, but we will go there in the belief that we can win – but if we don’t, then so long as we keep the scores close we should be in a good position to keep those Treble dreams alive.”

GLASGOW: Benjamin Basso, Ulrich Ostergaard r/r, Craig Cook, Broc Nicol, Tom Brennan, Paul Starke, Connor Bailey, Sam McGurk (no.8).
POOLE: Danny King, Ben Cook, Steve Worrall, Drew Kemp, Richard Lawson, Zach Cook, Nathan Ablitt.

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