TEAM boss Carl Johnson has called for a final flourish from a makeshift Peterborough team in their final Premier League meeting tonight.

The 'T Balfe Construction' Panthers travel to Edinburgh for their final meeting of the campaign (7.30pm).

And even though victory at Armadale could launch Peterborough into fifth place in the standings, they make the long trip north of the border knowing that the outcome will not count towards the play-off picture.

The meeting is taking place after the September 19 cut-off date and attempts from the Panthers management to secure an extension were unsuccessful.

Johnson said: "There is no doubt in my mind that every meeting should count towards the play-offs.

"We could find ourselves finishing in the top six yet not involved in the play-offs - and that would be a farcical situation as far as I'm concerned.

"I'm not for one minute suggesting we are certain to win at Edinburgh, but I certainly feel we deserved the opportunity to do so.

"We're certainly not going to travel up there to roll over."

Peterborough can only call on two of their regular riders - Craig Cook and captain Ulrich Ostergaard - tonight.

The remainder of their team is made up of four guests and the use of the rider replacement facility.

Anders Thomsen and Richard Hall are both injured, Kenneth Bjerre and Danny Halsey have both gone down with illness and Zdenek Holub is withholding his services.

Matt Wethers, Jye Etheridge, Shelby Rutherford and David Wallinger have all agreed to step in as guests.

Johnson added: "We're obviously disappointed to have so few of our own riders available, but tonight will serve as a shop window for our guests to stake their claim for a place in our team for 2017.

"It has been tough just to put a side together for tonight and we're grateful to all four riders who have stepped in."

Edinburgh finished the regular season in fourth place and did advance to the play-offs, but their hopes of glory are already hanging by a thread.

They were thumped 58-32 in the first leg of their quarter-final showdown against Ipswich last night and face a mammoth task to turn the tie around in the second leg next week.

TEAMS
EDINBURGH: Sam Masters, Ryan Fisher, Erik Riss, Mark Riss, Kevin Wolbert, Max Clegg, Ryan Blacklock (guest).

PETERBOROUGH 'T BALFE CONSTRUCTION' PANTHERS: Craig Cook, rider replacement for Richard Hall, Ulrich Ostergaard, Jye Etheridge (guest), Matt Wethers (guest), Shelby Rutherford (guest), David Wallinger (guest).