THE DECISION to restage last night’s washed out Elite League semi-final second leg tomorrow may have taken the Robins management by surprise, but they will not let it disrupt their bid to win their first national title since 1967.

The prospect of heavy rain in Poole yesterday caused Pirates boss Matt Ford to make an early decision to call the meeting off, despite track covers being put down on the Wimborne Road track in a bid to safeguard the meeting.

Robins co-promoter Gary Patchett was told at the beginning of the week the second leg would be restaged on Monday in the event of a rain-off, and was unhappy he was not consulted before plans for tomorrow night were announced by the Pirates.

Fortunately all of the Robins riders are available, and Patchett is now just looking forward to what is sure to be a memorable night.

“I sought clarification on Monday and I was told that if we were rained off on Monday we would stage the meeting on Tuesday, and if last night was cancelled we would run the following Monday,” he said.

“That is what I was told, and it is not a massive issue now because all of our riders are available, but we didn’t know that at the time and it was assumed we would be okay.

“We should have been consulted, but it is not a massive issue and we just want to race now.

“The one benefit to riding on Friday night is that if we do win it, the fans would be able to celebrate the win at the Elite League Riders Championship at Blunsdon the following day.”

Despite yet another disruption, team manager Alun Rossiter is not letting the delay have any impact on his preparation for such a vital meeting, while Linus Eklof will replace the unavailable Kyle Howarth for the home side.

“We will go as we are, because we have been going well recently and we go down there in the driving seat,” he said.

“They are the ones who feel under a little pressure because they have to come back from seven behind.

“I don’t think them having Eklof in for Howarth will make too much of a difference, and we just want to get the meeting on now.”