GARY Havelock is set to step into the breach as team boss for the first time this season as Poole Pirates look to book their spot in the BSN Series final.

Teessider Havelock, the 1992 world champion, is again set to take charge of some away meetings for Pirates this season.

The first of those will come this Saturday, when Poole take a slender six-point lead to Redcar Bears (7.30pm) after Wednesday night’s 48-42 victory at Wimborne Road.

Neil Middleditch, team boss for Pirates alongside Havelock, will not be making the long trek this weekend.

He joked: “I don’t go that far north because I get a nosebleed if I go past Birmingham!

“Havvy will be taking over for me, because that’s just around the corner for him.

“But all the boys perform well at Redcar. They like the race track.

“And obviously racing against our old friend Danny King, so we’re just going to see if we can put one over on him.”

Asked for an update on Havelock, who has had health issues in recent months, Middleditch added: “He’s fine. I’m in touch with him in the WhatsApp group.

“He had an operation, as most people know, to ease some of the pain he’s been going through for a number of years.

“But he seems in good spirits. The boys said they saw him the other night and he looked in good form.

“He has been poorly, as we all know, but at the moment he seems good.”

Poole head to Redcar again a man light, with Anders Rowe in FIM SGP2 qualifier action, and they will operate rider replacement.

The Bears meanwhile have drafted in Lewis Kerr as guest at number one for the injured Erik Riss.

Looking ahead to the second leg, Pirates promoter Danny Ford said: “We always knew the first leg was going to be tough.

“One look at their side and it was clear they were going to make things as difficult as they could, but our lads dug in really deep at the end and we will now go to theirs with the plan of taking the tie to them.

“Just as they had riders who enjoy riding our track, we have a side that shouldn't have too many fears about riding there and this has all the making of a being an epic conclusion to the semi-final.

“We want to be in that final, you need to be there to have a chance of picking up the trophy and we love doing that at Poole so I have no doubt that our lads will give it their all as they seek to finish the job."

Redcar: Lewis Kerr (guest), Danyon Hume, Charles Wright, Connor Bailey, Danny King, Jason Edwards, Jake Mulford.

Pirates: Steve Worrall, rider replacement, Ben Cook, Zach Cook, Richard Lawson, Kyle Newman, Adam Roynon.