PIRATES team manager Neil Middleditch is looking for his side to produce a winning final push in the run-in to the regular Elite League season to make sure they clinch a top-two title play-off place.

Poole Meridian Lifts have a nine-point lead at the top of the table following their 47-43 home win over Eastbourne last week.

And they must have all-but secured a top-four position to qualify for the end-of-season play-offs which begin with the one-off semi-finals on Mondays' September 8 and 15.

The two-legged final is scheduled for Mondays' September 22 and 29.But it must surely still be a case of 'all-but' because Pirates' last five remaining regular top-flight fixtures are all away from home. That's not the only hurdle though.

Four of them are real toughies - at Eastbourne, Belle Vue, Coventry and Oxford - all of which could prove too difficult for Poole to triumph, especially the first two on Saturday and Monday, respectively, because they travel to Arlingtonand Kirky Lane without injured duo Lukas Dryml and Bjarne Pedersen.

Arguably, the only remaining away match Pirates would fancy their chances of winning without Dryml and Pedersen is against Ipswich tomorrow, when Jason Lyons guests for Dryml and Pirates use rider replacement for the Dane.

But with the Witches battling hard to avoid the wooden spoon, even that match could slip away from them. That's why Middleditch was stressing "there is still work to be done" after depleted Poole had twice been forced to pull back a deficit to defeat the Eagles at Wimborne Road.

He said: "I think we are in the play-offs, but we have to get that top two place to make sure we get a home draw in the semi-finals.

"We know what we have to do. But we are not there yet and the boys will be going all out to make sure we get enough points.

"Ipswich will be tough, especially without Lukas and Bjarne, and Eastbourne will also be tough, especially with the team they have got now.

"Belle Vue will not be easy on Monday either, as we have found out to our cost already this season and that will leave Coventry and Oxford next month.

"True, we have beaten Coventry away already this season but I am sure they will have their wits about them when we visit them again on August 11 and Oxford have just strengthened up so it will be really difficult for us there on August29 as well.

"By that time we should have Lukas, Bjarne and David Ruud back though. I want all three back for the play-offs, as long as they are all fit.

"We've completed our home fixtures and have ended up with a really good record - 13 wins in 14 matches with the only defeat coming against Coventry in our first meeting.

"We have made it Fortress Wimborne Road and we just have to make sure we finish in the top two so that we can build on that.

He added: "Our last six meetings here, against Belle Vue (46-44), Peterborough (53-37), Wolves (47-43), Oxford (46-44), Coventry (52-38) and Eastbourne (47-43), have all been tough.

"But they have always been great meetings with some great racing and that can only have been good for the spectators."

Lyons guests for Poole at Eastbourne and Craig Boyce covers for Dryml at Belle Vue. Davey Watt is reserve for Pirates at Ipswich, Eastbourne and the Aces.