PIRATES have decided to press on with their SGB Championship play-off semi-final choice – despite not knowing who their opponents will be.

With numerous delays to the quarter-final play-off ties, all of the top-six finishers in the division are still in with a chance of claiming the league title.

Poole, who finished top of the regular season table to earn the choice of last-four opposition, have decided to pick the winners of Leicester and Scunthorpe’s second leg – which is now set to be held on Tuesday.

The winners of that tie will take on Pirates in the first leg of the semi-final at Wimborne Road 24 hours later.

Pirates’ decision is likely to mean Leicester will be Wednesday’s opponents in Dorset, the Lions currently hold a 54-36 lead over the Scorpions.

The second leg between those sides was frustratingly postponed on Saturday after an ambulance broke down en route to the Paul Chapman & Sons Arena, with the issue unable to be resolved in time for the meeting to take place.

Assessing the play-off picture, Ford told the club website: "We are extremely frustrated that we are in the position of hosting a meeting here at Wimborne Road without knowing for certain who are the opponents, and won't know until less than 24 hours before we go ahead.

“But unfortunately, we have been forced into this situation, simply because time is running out.

"It has been three weeks since our last league fixture and the league cut-off date was September 26, so there has been time to get the quarter-finals completed.

“I accept that there have been some unfortunate circumstances that clubs have had to contend with, but it is not a good position to be in.

“We have already sacrificed staging the second leg so that there can be a fighting chance of getting the semi-finals completed with sufficient time for the final, but the on-going delay has made it virtually impossible to promote the meeting.

“The play-offs have in modern day speedway been the marquee events of the season and we can only apologise to our supporters for the lack of communication about Wednesday's fixture, but that is simply because we cannot be certain of our opponents.

“However, we have taken the decision to select the winners of the Leicester v Scunthorpe tie, which should be resolved on Tuesday night, and obviously at this stage favours Leicester.”

With Poole opting for the winners of that tie, second-placed Glasgow will face the aggregate winners of either Edinburgh or Redcar.

With Edinburgh holding a 12-point lead it could well be an all-Scotland second semi-final.