PIRATES chief Matt Ford today lauded his side's "great achievement" in finishing top of the Elite League table for the second year running.

But he has been quick to stress that "there is still a lot of hard work to be done" as Poole RIAS look to become the first club to secure back-to-back Division One titles since Coventry in 1988.

Wolves' 47-46 defeat at Belle Vue on Wednesday means that the Dorset club can not be dislodged from top spot.

They will line up in the two-legged play-off final against opponents who progress through the quarters and semis on October 4 and 11.

Ford said: "We have won the league and now we must win the play-offs. We are also in the Knockout Cup semi-finals, so it has not been a bad year for the Pirates crew so far.

"There is a small reward for finishing top of the Elite League, a five-figure sum the amount of which I can-not disclose.

"We are really looking forward to receiving that but now the serious business comes when the title play-offs start.

"And as much as there is no financial reward for winning it, our whole season has been built around those two play-off final meetings. So when the time comes in October, whatever we have achieved already counts for nothing.

"It is many years since a team won the league two years on the trot but we have to go into the play-offs and we haven't won the league yet. To again finish top of the pack at the end of the regular season is tremendous.

"We now have to keep it together and try to make the most of the final. One date I can now give the Poole public for their diaries is October 11 at home.

"Finishing top gives us choice of when we stage our home leg and we would like to stage the second leg at Poole.

"We hope to be able to go away like we did last year at Coventry and keep the scores as close as possible in the first leg and then bring the other team back to Dorset and try to win the trophy in front of our own fans.

"However, it is not that simple. The play-off system can show the frailties of any speedway club.

"We could have lost Bjarne Pedersen to injury at Oxford last week, so when it comes to a final over two legs I genuinely believe it is a 50 per cent chance of winning or losing."

Pirates won't learn who their opponents are until after the semi-finals on Monday, September 27.

Wolves and Eastbourne look to have secured their top-five play-off places and the others should go to any two out of Ipswich, Oxford, Swindon and Arena-Essex, although Belle Vue can still not be ruled out.

Ford said: "If speedway runs as it should do, it looks as though we will have a home and away tie against Wolves as they should get home advantage in the quarter-finals and semi-finals as they look like they will finish second in the table.

"But I know Chris Van Straaten and Peter Adams will certainly not be counting their chickens until they have safely booked their place in the final.

"However, we are confident meeting anyone in the final.

"We know we are not the best on some tracks but very good on others, so we are confident we can do a job."