MATT Ford identified a chink in King’s Lynn’s armoury ahead of tomorrow’s SGB Premiership play-off final and insisted: “Poole isn’t their favourite track.”

Pirates will aim to take a giant step towards their eighth league title in 16 seasons when they face the in-form Stars in the first leg at Wimborne Road (7.30pm).

The visitors today enlisted Adam Ellis to cover for Niels-Kristian Iversen after the Danish star crashed at Polish track Bydgoszcz. Controversially, Ellis will guest for Poole in the return leg on Wednesday.

Reflecting on Pirates’ opposition prior to Iversen’s spill, Ford told the Daily Echo: “The rapid improvement of Robert Lambert is quite staggering.

“In a few years, he has gone from making his debut to number one and an average which is two points above that of Iversen.

“It’s an amazing achievement. What he has done in the past 12 months is unbelievable.

“Poole isn’t King’s Lynn’s favourite track but who knows what will happen in a final? I think everyone ups their game.

“You put aside any feelings you have and I think they will do that, just as we will do that when we go to them.”

As exclusively revealed by the Daily Echo on Friday, Ford has drafted in Swindon’s Nick Morris to guest for Brady Kurtz.

Ex-Aussie champion Kurtz was ruled out having sustained a broken collarbone in a huge crash during the second leg of Poole’s semi-final against Somerset.

Ford said: “The loss of Brady, who has been our top scorer at King’s Lynn on a few occasions in the past few years, is not easy to overcome.

“But there is a great spirit in the team. You have to accept the lads have done very well this campaign and I’m hopeful.

“King’s Lynn didn’t come top for no reason. They came top because, over the course of the season, they were the best team and did exceptionally well.

“But I don’t think anyone would write us off, so we will do what we can. We are a good team and we’ve shown that.”

Meanwhile, Ford has labelled the 2018 Premiership season “the fairest I have ever known”.

Ford told the club website: “It’s been a really entertaining season. So many teams have been in the mix for the play-offs

“Belle Vue were right in the frame, Swindon were leading the league and so were Wolverhampton and Somerset as well.

“I don’t want to say for one second that King’s Lynn and Poole are the two best sides simply because they have reached the final but clearly both teams got there on merit.

“But overall, it’s been the fairest league I have ever known.”

Pirates: (from) Chris Harris, Josh Grajczonek, Kacper Woryna, Nicolai Klindt, Nick Morris (guest), Richie Worrall, Frederik Jakobsen.

King’s Lynn: (from) Robert Lambert, Erik Riss, Ty Proctor, Thomas Jorgensen, Adam Ellis (guest), Michael Palm Toft, Simon Lambert.