NEIL Middleditch believes Pirates reserve Jason Doyle will be fit for their crunch Elite League play-off final, second leg, against Coventry at Wimborne Road next week.

Poole Castle Cover’s team manager also feels their 12-point deficit from the first leg at Brandon last night is not “insurmountable” in the return in Dorset next Monday.

Doyle, making his comeback from a dislocated shoulder, went down hard in heat 14 on a treacherous Coventry track surface during Poole’s disappointing 51-39 first leg defeat last night.

It was first feared the Aussie ace may have dislocated his shoulder again and that he would have to sit out the second leg in six days’ time.

But Middleditch said last night: “Jason says he’s all right and that he has a week to rest his shoulder.

“He did knock it again in his second fall and we’ll have to see how it is in the morning.

“Jason is supposed to go to Germany on Tuesday for an individual meeting, but he may have to think again.

“He has a bit of a cut on his arm, but he generally feels okay.

“Jason said he’ll be fit for Monday.”

Middleditch, whose side will have to be on top form to deny fourth-placed Bees becoming the first side finishing outside the top two to lift the championship crown, added: “It was a great five points from Doyley tonight.

“It must have been very tough for him because track conditions dictated a lot of it.

“However, it was the same for both teams, so we have no complaints.

“There was no skulduggery on Coventry’s part. It was just the wet weather that did it.

“I do think refs need to allow a bit of leniency over making their decisions when a track is in that sort of condition.

“They have the luxury of using TV replays, so maybe they should take more time before making decisions.

“For instance, Krzys (Kaprzak’s) dirt deflector came into contact with Chris Holder on the first bend in heat 15, but there’s no point me talking to the refs because they won’t change their minds.”

Poole, for whom Darcy Ward (one) and Artur Mroczka (one) failed to fire, continued: “In the first five heats, Coventry hit us hard to lead 21-9 and we were totally out of it at that stage.

“But the boys dug deep. Darcy had a bad first ride and Leon Madsen’s confidence was down, but we had a chat, all the boys got pumped and everyone responded.

“We got back in the meeting, kept it tight and even outscored them at one stage later in the meeting.

“Although a 12-point deficit is a lot, it’s not insurmountable. But the boys are going to have to show that same fighting spirit again next week from the off.

“We have to hit them hard from heat one and get them to use their tactical rides early.

“This final shows we are the two best teams in the country, but the fact Coventry finished 26 points behind us in the league table doesn’t mean anything now.”

Bjarne Pedersen (15) was the meeting’s and Poole’s top performer, while Holder, Davey Watt and Madsen also won races for Pirates as they plundered seven chequered flags compared to Coventry’s eight.

Middleditch said: “Bjarne rode brilliantly tonight. He led from the front and inspired the whole team.

“It was a nasty fall for Chris in the first re-run of heat 15 (when Kasprzak’s dirt deflector nudged Holder’s bike wide into the slushy stuff on the second bend and the Aussie had to jump off the back of his machine, landing heavily on his own back as he hit the track hard).

“He was very lucky not to be injured. That’s one of the positives we can take from the meeting.”

Pirates didn’t dig into Coventry’s lead with either of their tactical rides, conceding a 4-2 in race eight when double-points man Ward and Doyle were originally on a 5-3 for Poole.

Pedersen then bagged a 4-4 by splitting Kasprzak and Lewis Bridger in heat 10.

Sky Sports screened the first leg live, and Middleditch told them: “Darcy got a bit over-excited,” after Ward had fallen while challenging Przemyslaw Pawlicki hard for first place on the third turn, lap three, in that vital race eight.

“He’s young. He just wants to win races. I can’t knock him for that,” continued Middleditch.

Poole’s team manager later told the Echo: “Darcy’s 18. He doesn’t know the meaning of backing off.

“He knew the important of that race. He should have backed off. But that’s not his style as we have seen this season.

“Darcy said before the race he would give me 100 per cent and you can’t ask any more when a rider says that.

“There were about 500 Poole fans here tonight and I want to thank them all for coming to Coventry.

“Now we want another big show of support at Wimborne Road on Monday because our crowd can be our eighth man as we look to turn this final around.”