PIRATES boss Matt Ford has lit the blue touch paper ahead of tomorrow’s SGB Premiership play-off semi-final by insisting the pressure is on Somerset.

Poole travel to the Oaktree Arena knowing a narrow loss is likely to be the minimum requirement in order to keep alive their hopes of progress in the decisive second leg.

The Dorset club have beaten the Rebels just twice in six attempts this season with their best away result against them being a six-point loss in June.

Ford told the Daily Echo: “Somerset will go into the meeting as favourites. They have the trump card in Jason Doyle.

“The pressure has left us and has gone to another club who are expected to win with the world champion in their team.

“But who knows? Speedway is a strange sport and anything can happen. We go in having been successful in the past two to three months.

“As long as everyone gives it their all and we keep it as close as we can to make the second leg attractive for everybody, then it’s job done.

“We are aware we could go to Somerset and lose by 20 or win by two. It is that type of event. If the team clicks, we could do very well, if we don’t, we could take a significant mauling as King’s Lynn did earlier this month.”

The Rebels’ track preparation has fallen under the spotlight recently but Ford insists there are no complaints from his side.

He said: “Somerset used to be fairly grippy for the likes of Josh Grajczonek and Brady Kurtz but now they have taken the dirt off and made it a lot slicker, and it doesn’t quite work in the same way.

“It’s their prerogative and I have no issue with it whatsoever.

“Some people feel tracks should be prepared the same around the country but I think it’s important to be able to prepare your track how you wish.”