RESULT: POOLE 53 LAKESIDE 37

Yet again it was a case of "patient Pirates" as Poole consolidated their second place in the Elite league table courtesy of their fourth successive league win,  with a 53-37 triumph over third placed Lakesid

A victory by such a margin certainly never looked on the cards as the resilient Hammers pushed the Pirates for the first 11 heats.

With the sharpness from the gate that the Poole riders demonstrated last week at Wolverhampton appearing to abandon them,  the Hammers produced  no fewer than 7 of the first 11 race winners.

The first of those came from Richard Lawson, who for the second time enjoyed success in the opening heat and it took a determined passing ride by Vaclav Milik in heat 4 to end the run of Lakeside winners, but with Benji Compton retiring the Pirates were still trailing by two points.

A classy ride by Darcy Ward to overhaul a resilient Lewis Bridger and then produce a clever piece of blocking to allow partner Maciej Janowski through for second place turned the tables, but the Pirates advantage was short-lived for Lakeside guest Rory Schlein and skipper Davey Watt combined for an unchallenged 5-1 of their own in heat 6.

A late pass by Kim Nilsson in heat 7 denied Kyle Newman second behind race winner Josh Grajczonek but the Pirates were on level terms again ahead of two strong rides by Przemyslaw Pawlicki and Vaclav Milik to come from behind to give Poole a 4 point advantage at the halfway stage.

With Ellis and Schelin winning the next two heats respectively Poole were unable to build on that lead and when Pawlicki's good start was pushed aside in the first bend mix. With Nilsson and Watt claiming a 4-2 advantage for the visitors the meeting looked assured of going down to the wire.

But suddenly Poole stepped up a gear, aided perhaps by Richard Lawson failing to get off the start with any power in heat 12 and the resulting 5-1 from Newman and Grajczonek gave Poole some breathing space ahead of the tricky looking heat 13. It wasn't needed though as Darcy Ward produced some excellent racing, going round Watt and then switching quickly to nip under Schlein to join Janowski, who had early passed his way into the lead, for a nerve-settling 5-1. The match was settled beyond doubt when Milik and Newman made it three maximum heat scores on the bounce and it took some more resilience from Bridger in the final chapter to prevent that being four straight 5-1 wins. Milik in third had made an excellent move to go into second place but only briefly as Bridger fought back instantly but only managed to clinch the two points by a narrow margin as Milik came back strongly.

POOLE 53
D. Ward 2,3,2,2'=9+1
J. Grajczonek 1',3,1',2'=7+3
P. Pawlicki 1',0,3,0=4+1
V. Milik 3,1,2',3,1=10+1
M. Janowski 2,2',2,3,3=12+1
B. Compton 0,R,1'=1+1
K. Newman 2,1,2,3,2'=10+1
LAKESIDE 37
D. Watt 0,2',1,0=3+1
R. Lawson 3,2,0,R=5
L. Bridger 3,1,1,R,2=7
K. Nilsson 0,2,3,1=6
R. Schlein 0,3,3,1,R=7
A. Ellis 3,0,3,1,0=7
B. Morley 1,1',R=2+1

Ht 1 R. Lawson D. Ward J. Grajczonek D. Watt 3-3 (3-3) (60.37)
Ht 2 A. Ellis K. Newman B. Morley B. Compton 2-4 (5-7) (62.03)
Ht 3 L. Bridger M. Janowski P. Pawlicki R. Schlein 3-3 (8-10) (60.66)
Ht 4 V. Milik R. Lawson B. Morley B. Compton (Rtd) 3-3 (11-13) (61)
Ht 5 D. Ward M. Janowski L. Bridger K. Nilsson 5-1 (16-14) (60.34)
Ht 6 R. Schlein D. Watt V. Milik P. Pawlicki 1-5 (17-19) (60.53)
Ht 7 J. Grajczonek K. Nilsson K. Newman A. Ellis 4-2 (21-21) (61.22)
Ht 8 P. Pawlicki V. Milik L. Bridger R. Lawson 5-1 (26-22) (60.41)
Ht 9 A. Ellis K. Newman B. Compton B. Morley (Rtd) 3-3 (29-25) (61.84)
Ht 10 R. Schlein D. Ward J. Grajczonek L. Bridger (Rtd) 3-3 (32-28) (60.87)
Ht 11 K. Nilsson M. Janowski D. Watt P. Pawlicki 2-4 (34-32) (60.47)
Ht 12 K. Newman J. Grajczonek A. Ellis R. Lawson (Rtd) 5-1 (39-33) (61.66)
Ht 13 M. Janowski D. Ward R. Schlein D. Watt 5-1 (44-34) (60.53)
Ht 14 V. Milik K. Newman K. Nilsson A. Ellis 5-1 (49-35) (61.59)
Ht 15 M. Janowski L. Bridger V. Milik R. Schlein (Rtd) 4-2 (53-37) (60.85)

Referee Dan Holt