PIRATES chief Matt Ford believes their win at Wolves earlier this season will have no bearing on the outcome of the Elite League title play-off final between the two sides.

Wolves, who finished second in the league table behind Poole RIAS, triumphed over Ipswich last night to fix up a two-legged showdown for the title next month.

Pirates, who gained a bye directly into the final because they finished top, visit Wolves in the first leg on Monday.

They host the Black Country outfit in the second leg at Wimborne Road on October 11 after Mikael Max beat Hans Andersen in a run-off to propel his side into the final.

Wolves, who had crushed Oxford 61-33 at home in the quarter-final last week, were held to a thrilling 45-45 draw by Ipswich in front of a big crowd at Monmore.

But Max, who had also won heat 15, kept cool to peg Andersen behind him in a dramatic two-man decider.

Poole went to Monmore Green and won 49-41 in the league on June 14 with a team that included Jason Lyons and guest Brent Werner, in for the injured Davey Watt.

It was Lyons' last meeting for the Dorset club after he was to be replaced in the team by Matej Ferjan.

And Watt, who had featured alongside the Australian in Pirates' 50-40 reverse at Wolves in April, made way for Krzysztof Kasprzak at the same time.

Ford, whose side have also beaten Wolves 53-43 and 54-40 at home this term, said: "We have beaten Wolves three times out of four this season.

"But I think the final will be completely different. We have a completely different team than the one that won at Wolves in June.

"I don't think anyone can look at those results and say they will bear any relationship to what happens in the final."

Ford, who watched the Wolves-Ipswich clash unfold on Sky Sports, labelling it "amazing", added: "We are making no bold predictions. That is not our way.

"Although it was interesting to hear comments from both sides on TV saying that they felt the semi-final was harder than the final will be.

"How the Pirates respond to that we'll have to wait and see. But I am quite sure the message has gone out loud and clear that Wolves and Ipswich both believed they could beat us."

Looking ahead to the first leg at Wolves, Ford said: "The aim for anyone in speedway away from home is to try and keep the scores as close as possible.

"We realistically know that is our objective from the meeting.

"Our away form of late has been just slightly better than appalling so the team need to pull together more than at any other time in the season and make sure we win over the two legs.

"There was a massive crowd at Monmore Green last night and I don't want us to be out-shouted by Wolves fans there on Monday.

"So I'm urging as many Pirates fans as possible to travel to Wolves on Monday and set their video recorders to tape the match on TV.

"I want to make sure our riders hear our fans getting behind them to help them achieve a good result in the first leg so that we can come back to Poole and lift the trophy in front of our own fans like we did against Coventry last year."

To book a place on one of the supporters' coaches to Wolves, contact Dave Tarr, of Sea View Coaches, on 01202 600778.

Poole will entertain Belle Vue or Swindon in the BSPA Knockout Cup, semi-final, first leg on Wednesday, October 6 and not October 13 as reported in Monday's Echo.

Swindon won the first leg 48-42 at home but the second leg at Belle Vue was rained-off on Monday.

The Aces host Swindon in the second leg on Wednesday after it was hastily re-arranged.

Other semi-final is between Arena-Essex and Ipswich.