RIVAL manager Alex Pike has warned Poole Town: Form will count for nothing in the play-offs.

Ex-Wimborne Town boss Pike is hoping to get one over on old pals Tom Killick and Taffy Richardson by guiding Gosport Borough to Southern League promotion at Poole’s expense.

Borough and Dolphins will go into the Division One South & West end-of-season shoot-out as favourites to earn a place in the top flight.

Second-placed Poole lead Gosport in third by a point going into tomorrow’s final round of matches in the regulation campaign.

Dolphins host champions Bideford at Tatnam (3pm), while Gosport entertain ninth-placed Bishops Cleeve – with the runners-up position and home advantage in a potential final showdown up for grabs.

Both clubs will arrive in the play-offs in fine fettle – with Dolphins claiming seven wins and one draw since losing on March 10 and Gosport unbeaten in 13.

But Pike told the Daily Echo: “There is no doubt the two form sides are Poole Town and Gosport. We have been vying for second and third for a while and Sholing have fallen away, but it means nothing.

“These are one-off games and it completely and utterly means nothing.

“I am sure both myself and Tommy will be looking to win them but the one thing I have learned over the years is that the play-offs are a lottery.”

Poole and Gosport have already done enough to secure a home play-off semi-final, with second due to host fifth and third set to entertain fourth. The highest placed team in the league will have home advantage in the final.

However, since the inception of the division in 2006, the five promoted clubs have all finished either fourth or fifth. Pike believes finishing higher in the table can bring additional pressure.

He added: “Poole Town and Gosport are the in-form sides so they are the teams to beat, whereas Sholing and Hungerford have got nothing to lose.

“They can play without fear. They are the underdogs and are not meant to win.

“I think that allows them to play with a certain amount of freedom and pressure comes on Gosport and Poole because, for the past six or eight weeks, we have both led the way.

“Then, all of a sudden, we are there to be beaten and up on a pedestal.”

Dual registered striker Alex Baldacchino is set to play in New Milton Town’s Wessex Premier relegation scrap at Hayling, but Poole have star frontman Dan Cann available following suspension.

Dolphins: (from) Hutchings, Tallack, Clarke, Spetch, Walker, Emmerson, Preston, Brooks, Howes, Devlin, Gill, Smith, Joyce, Richardson, Benssaouda, Cann.