MATT Ford insists Pirates will fight tooth and nail to keep alive their fast-fading Elite League play-off hopes – but admits they are in the last-chance saloon.

Promoter Ford says another fruitless return from tonight’s showdown with Eastbourne would almost certainly spell the end of Poole’s title challenge.

Pirates, champions in four of the past 10 years, have been left with a mountain to climb in the battle for play-off places following a turbulent start to the campaign.

Four league wins from their first 13 matches, coupled with a series of injuries to key riders, has seen them slip to second bottom in the league.

Their misfortune was summed up in Wednesday’s defeat at Birmingham where they finished with only four riders after Tomas H Jonasson and Dawid Stachyra had been crocked. Injury and international commitments will see them track no fewer than four guests against the Eagles.

Ford said: “If we don’t get anything from the meeting, inevitably, we can say we will need to gain strength from rebuilding and look to the future. It would be pointless trying to chase a dream that would just not be possible.

“Speedway is a funny game and, until it’s mathematically impossible, then we will keep trying. Unless we can turn the tide at Eastbourne, the play-offs could be a bridge too far but we will be doing everything we can to gain a positive result.”

Ford added: “It is pointless to keep going on about bad luck. People don’t want to hear excuses.” Mikkel Bech Jensen had already been booked as a guest, while Rye House’s Anders Mellgren was drafted in yesterday.

And with Przemyslaw Pawlicki, Maciej Janowski and, possibly, Jonasson committed to GP qualifiers tomorrow, Pirates have also secured the services of Ben Barker and Richie Worrall. Both teams will use the rider replacement facility.

Pirates: Holder, Tungate, Jensen, Barker, Worrall, Mellgren.

Eagles: Gizatullin, Gustafsson, Lahti, Nilsson, Pedersen, Woodward.