PIRATES have confirmed the first leg of their SGB Championship play-off semi-final at Wimborne Road will take place on Wednesday, October 13, despite not yet knowing their opponent.

The Dorset side are poised to make their decision over who to face in the last four, having finished top of the regular league standings.

Second legs of the quarter-final clashes between both Edinburgh and Redcar, and Leicester and Scunthorpe are due to take place this week.

But Ford has moved to get a semi-final date in the diary for fans, as Poole build up towards their season finale.

He told the club website: “Whilst we won't be able to finally choose our opponents until this weekend, I can confirm that we will be staging the first leg of the semi-final play-offs here at Wimborne Road next week and we will be putting tickets on sale very soon.

"Ordinarily, we would have taken the second leg as our home meeting but time is very much against us as we head into mid-October.

“We still have Knockout Cup final to organise and, hopefully the play-off final and Bjarne Pedersen's farewell meeting to slot in, before the end of the month.

"It's not ideal but is a necessary move and we can only hope that we attract a good turn out next Wednesday that will cheer the lads on to a decent win to strengthen our position ahead of the second leg."