King's Lynn will lock horns with champions Poole in the play-off semi-finals after failing to finish top of the Elite League last night.

The Stars only needed a draw at Belle Vue to end up on the summit but lost 48-42 and had to settle for second behind the South Coast giants. The Pirates got choice of their last-four opponents as a result and selected the Norfolk Arena outfit going into the end-of-season shoot-out for glory.

Boss Rob Lyon told Sky Sports: 'I had a feeling that Matt (Ford, promoter) would pick us to be fair. I'm quite pleased we're having the first leg at home, it's something we'd have done ourselves if we'd had the choice. We'll regroup after last night. The boys are a little bit down obviously because we just missed out, but there's another week to go so we'll be up for it.'

The Stars will host Poole in the first leg on Monday before making the trip to Wimborne Road a week after the top two do battle at Saddlebow Road.

Lynn's boss admitted he would have selected Coventry – who will take on Swindon – had his team claimed the right result in Manchester. But now they face Poole, as they did in 2011, when they last bagged a play-off slot at the end of the regular season.

The Stars were defeated over the two legs and the Pirates went on to lift the top-flight crown by seeing off Eastbourne in the grand final.