Stewart Dickson, Berwick Bandits’ team manager, urged his side to maintain their focus despite the prospect of reaching a Knockout Cup Final for the first time in 37 years.
They restricted holders Poole Pirates to a four-point lead after Wednesday’s first leg in Dorset, but Dickson, a cup winner with Premiership Leicester last season, warns there is still a lot of work to be done.
Tapes go up at 7pm on Saturday and Dickson (pictured) said: “We’ve won nothing and reached nowhere just because we did well at Poole.
“Pirates like our place and it is always tight – three of the last five meetings between the sides have been decided by two points and another was a draw.
“If we are to reach a final then we have to work very hard and make no mistakes on the night.”
Peter Kildemand, who missed Wednesday’s first leg, returns to the Berwick side which operates rider-replacement for Lasse Fredriksen who is competing in the Norwegian championships.
Opponents Poole also welcome back their No 1, Richard Lawson, who is a regular heavy scorer around Shielfield.
They are missing first-leg top scorer Will Cairns who is attempting to qualify for the SGP2 series. Redcar’s Simon Lambert guest.
The Pirates also operate rider-replacement with Australian Fraser Bowes missing after aggravating a back injury and withdrawing from the first leg after two rides.
Berwick’s previous cup final appearance came in 1989 when they beat Poole comfortably on aggregate having restricted them to a four-point lead in the first leg.
Since then they have managed just two semi-final appearances, the last of which came in 2005.
Berwick: Peter Kildemand, Jye Etheridge, Victor Palovaara, Rider-replacement for Lasse Fredriksen, Nick Morris, Jack Smith, Jordan Jenkins
Poole: Richard Laweson, Rider replacement for Fraser Bowes, Lewis Kerr, Cooper Rushen, Zach Cook, Simon Lambert, Kyle Newman
Meanwhile, Edinburgh Monarchs lost 49-41 at Redcar Bears in the Cab Direct Championship despite being well in the hunt as they led 22-20 after seven heats. However, over the remaining races it slipped away in spite of a heat 14 5-1 from Kye Thomson and Paco Castagne which set up a last race decider. Monarchs lost out to a home maximum in that race.
John Campbell, Monarchs’ team manager, groaned: “Nothing went right for us on the night.”
Ace Pijper was missing for Bears due to his SGP2 commitment, but Redcar have such strong reserves this was not a problem.
Redcar Bears (49): Nicolai Klindt 12+0, Ace Pijper 0+0, Simon Lambert 7+2, Jason Edwards 6+1, Jake Allen 5+1, Jake Mulford 8+1, Jody Scott 11+2, Kyran Lyden 0+0
Edinburgh Monarchs (41): Dan Thompson 10+0, Jonatan Grahn 5+0, Justin Sedgmen 7+0, Paco Castagna 5+1, Kye Thomson 12+1, Mitchell Cluff 0+0, Jordy Loftus 2+0
