Plymouth Gladiators v Poole Pirates

A paid maximum from last term Gladiator Richard Lawson steered the Pirates into a six-point first leg lead as they began their defence of the Knockout Cup. 

Backed up with a  thirteen point haul from number one Steve Worrall the Pirates relied heavily on this pairing who saw out a final heat decider with a  5-1 return.

Just as he had in the opening heat of the night, Worrall made a lightning start and never looked back, but apart from these two big hitters making starts was something that largely eluded the Poole side, with skipper Danny King admitting to struggling on that score. "This isn't the best place to be not making starts and I just wasn't making them at all."

Although they took a heat advantage in the opener the Pirates were immediately pegged back in the reserves heat and it was the Gladiators who were to break the ensuing deadlock when King and Nathan Ablitt conceded a 5-1 in heat four and then a 4-2 in heat six when Drew Kemp was partnering the skipper. 

Kemp made amends in heat eight when, with the battling Zach Cook in tow they delivered a valuable 5-1 for the visitors and two heats later, coming in to replace the tapes-offending Ben Cook,  he conspired with Lawson to level the affair and it was 33-33 at the heat eleven interval stage. 

4-2's were traded in the two heats following the break and then crucially Ben Cook and  Ablitt, both without a score between them, stood firm under respective attentions of Michael Palm-Toft and Henry Atkins - the latter replacing the big-hitting Dan Gilkes who had been disqualified after picking up a second start warning of the meeting.

The resulting 4-2 in favour of the Pirates left Plymouth needing a maximum score from the final heat if they were to make the trip to Wimborne Road on Wednesday with any sort of advantage, But Worrall finished the night as he had started, with an emphatic gate and Lawson secured his paid maximum for the 48-42 Pirate victory.
 

PLYMOUTH 42
E.Kennett,F,1,1,NS=2 (3)
B.Barker,2,3,1,XD,0=6 (5)
A.Bowtell ,1',0,NS,2=3+1 (3)
M.Palm-Toft ,2,X0,1,2=5 (4)
H.Andersen ,2',1',1',1,1=6+3 (5)
D.Gilkes,3,3,2,3,2,3,X0=16 (7)
H.Atkins,1,3,0,0,0=4 (5)
.
POOLE 48
S.Worrall,3,2,3,2,3=13 (5)
Z.Cook,1,1',2',0=4+2 (4)
R.Lawson,3,3,2',3,2'=13+2 (5)
B.Cook,0,0,X0,3=3 (4)
D.King,1,2,2,0=5 (4)
D.Kemp,2,0,3,0,3,1=9 (6)
N.Ablitt ,0,0,NS,1=1 (3)
.
Ht 1:  S.Worrall, B.Barker, Z.Cook, E.Kennett,  [fell] 2-4 2-4 [52.26]
Ht 2:  D.Gilkes, D.Kemp, H.Atkins, N.Ablitt ,  4-2 6-6 [52.56]
Ht 3:  R.Lawson, M.Palm-Toft , A.Bowtell , B.Cook,  3-3 9-9 [51.97]
Ht 4:  H.Atkins, H.Andersen , D.King, N.Ablitt ,  5-1 14-10 [52.06]
Ht 5:  D.Gilkes, S.Worrall, Z.Cook, A.Bowtell ,  3-3 17-13 [51.87]
Ht 6:  B.Barker, D.King, E.Kennett, D.Kemp,  4-2 21-15 [50.8]
Ht 7:  R.Lawson, D.Gilkes, H.Andersen , B.Cook,  3-3 24-18 [53.72]
Ht 8:  D.Kemp, Z.Cook, B.Barker, H.Atkins,  1-5 25-23 [52.59]
Ht 9:  D.Gilkes, D.King, M.Palm-Toft , D.Kemp,  4-2 29-25 [52.68]
Ht 10:  D.Kemp, R.Lawson, E.Kennett, B.Cook,  [exc]  1-5 30-30 [52.9]
Ht 11:  S.Worrall, D.Gilkes, H.Andersen , Z.Cook,  3-3 33-33 [52.88]
Ht 12:  R.Lawson, A.Bowtell , D.Kemp, H.Atkins,  2-4 35-37 [52.56]
Ht 13:  D.Gilkes, S.Worrall, H.Andersen , D.King,  4-2 39-39 [54.81]
Ht 14:  B.Cook, M.Palm-Toft , N.Ablitt , H.Atkins,  2-4 41-43 [56.8]
Ht 15:  S.Worrall, R.Lawson, H.Andersen , B.Barker,  1-5 42-48 [54.38]
REFEREE:Chris Gay 
PLYMOUTH won toss and deferred choice to heat 15; POOLE chose gates 1&3 |PLYMOUTH choose gates 2&4 in heat 15