PIRATES boss Neil Middleditch is confident a six-point lead from the first leg of the BSN series semi-final could be enough for Poole to advance past Redcar.

A tight meeting at Wimborne Road saw Pirates snatch victory in the final two legs with back-to-back 5-1s, seeing them edge past Redcar Bears 48-42.

With the second leg on Saturday, May 20, legendary team manager Middleditch believes the slender margin could be enough to book a place in the final.

However, he admitted that any lead would have been appreciated as Pirates trailed from the first heat of the evening.

Middleditch shared: "On the track walk I said a lead of 10 points would be nice, but mid-meeting I thought just two would be nice.

“Ben (Cook) blew his bike up and Steve (Worrall) was happy to go out on his second bike for that final heat, so you couldn't ask any more than that.

“He went out and did the business against two fantastic riders.

“But we knew it was going to be tough, Redcar are a good team but as Stevie said we have riders that can perform very well at Redcar.

“I think Gavin Parr, their team manager, thought they were going to win tonight.

“But those last couple of heats really turned it for us.”
Bears are currently unbeaten at home to start the 2023 campaign, with four wins from four at the ECCO Arena.

“Is six enough?” mused Middleditch.

“Yes, it can be.

“If we are all firing we have certainly got the team to do it, and they are going up there to do it.

“It's on Havvy's (Gary Havelock) patch but I'll be on the phone to him and we will have a chat.

“But he knows how to fire the lads up as well as I do.

“We are fully capable of going there and getting the job done, but I feel sure the Redcar boys will be aware of that too."