Report: Plymouth Gladiators v Poole Pirates (BSN)

26/04/25

Poole endured their second close away contest of the season but unlike at Oxford, they couldn't quite force a superheat as the meeting went to the wire with Plymouth gaining their first victory of the season, 46-44

For a rider who openly admits he doesn't enjoy riding the Coliseum circuit, Richard Lawson seemed well at ease as he stormed to an opening heat race win leaving Nicolai Klindt and Alfie Bowtell in his wake. In heat two Paul Starke had a battle on his hands as he tried to shrug off the interests of Ben Trigger but hadn't anticipated the move of Gladiators' guest Zaine Kennedy. It wasn't all plain sailing for the stand-in (covering for Lasse Fredriksen) as he took a close inspection of the air barrier at one stage before righting himself without loss of position. Anders Rowe and Joe Thompson were virtually shoulder to shoulder for the first lap of heat three, Rowe then finding the speed to power clear whilst Zach Cook came on strongly on the last lap but had run out race to be able to improve on his match-levelling third place. Lewi Kerr produced a good ride to battle by Trigger in heat four but on lap two Ben Barker lost total control of his bike and hurtled at speed into the air barrier and was jettisoned over the fence into the safety netting where momentarily it looked as if he was about to return to a vertical position. But falling heaving into the neutral zone he needed some attention on a dislocated shoulder, whilst the air barrier itself needed extensive work to be able to replace a panel. After a thirty minute delay the heat resumed, without the disqualified Gladiators' captain and as so often happens in these two against one races, Trigger, the sole home contestant, ripped out of the starts and was determined not to be beaten. A golden opportunity going begging as far as Poole were concerned.
It was Thompson's turn to make the start in heat five and no matter what line Lawson tried to overhaul him on, there was no getting by and Poole had to be content keeping the scores level through Tobias Thomsen's opening point of the night. Poole couldn't take advantage of Bowtell seemingly having not switched on his fuel line, as he lost a lot of speed before remedying the fault, all the while holding his second place behind Klindt. The first 5-1 of the meeting went Plymouth's way, but Poole had an instant remedy with their mid-order partnership. But Kennedy rode into Cook as they left bend one and Zach had nowhere to go apart from down. The referee took advantage of Gladiators TV coverage and reached the conclusion of all four back, not one that the large gathering of Poole fans in the Colin Hill stand shared from their vantage point. But the decision proved academic as Rowe and a recovered Cook prevailed, bridging the four point gap to bring the scores level again at 21 a-piece. Plymouth, through Bowtell and Trigger restored their four point advantage and that could well have been wiped out had Kerr not shed a chain as he headed for the first turn, for he had Starke alongside and the Poole reserve produced a solid ride whilst Kerr watched on from the infield. Rowe and Cook must surely have had their Weetabix at breakfast for they both stood up strongly to Klindt in heat ten, inflicting a 5-1 on him, helped marginally when the Dane ran a bit too wide on the second lap. With Barker officially withdrawn on medical advice, Plymouth introduced Thompson into heat eleven and it reaped dividends as he jetted out the gate and held firm under mounting pressure from Tobias. Lawson was covering third place and for the sixth time in eleven heats we had the running score in deadlock.
A seventh occasion followed as Anders completed his programmed heats with a relatively comfortable victory, whilst in heat thirteen Kerr was never in a realistic position to land a blow as Lawson led, so with just two heats remaining there was nothing in it.
The rare sight, especially in heat fourteen, of Zach Cook at the back, did Poole no favours, neither did Thompson's determination not to give Starke an opening, so for the second time in this season's BSN competition Poole headed into an away heat fifteen needing a maximum to force a superheat. Lawson had a different cast member this time, in the unbeaten Rowe, but try as he did, that man Thompson did an excellent blocking job, covering all bases to split the Pirates and earn Plymouth their first points of the season.

PLYMOUTH 46
Nicolai Klindt 2,3,1,2,0=8 (5)
Alfie Bowtell 1',2',3,0,1'=7+3 (5)
Mitchell Cluff 0,0,1',RS=1+1 (3)
Joe Thompson 2,3,2,3,2',2=14+1 (6)
Ben Barker FD,0,NS,NS=0 (2)
Zaine Kennedy 3,1,0,2,3=9 (5)
Ben Trigger 1,3,2',1'=7+2 (4)
.
POOLE 44
Richard Lawson 3,2,1',3,3=12+1 (5)
Tobias Thomsen 0,1',0,2=3+1 (4)
Anders Rowe 3,3,3,3,1=13 (5)
Zach Cook 1,2',2',0=5+2 (4)
Lewis Kerr 2,0,R,0=2 (4)
Paul Starke 2,1,1,3,RS,1=8 (5)
Matt Marson 0,1',RS,0,RS=1+1 (3)
.
Ht 1: R.Lawson, N.Klindt, A.Bowtell, T.Thomsen 3-3 3-3 [52.05]
Ht 2: Z.Kennedy, P.Starke, B.Trigger, M.Marson 4-2 7-5 [54.3]
Ht 3: A.Rowe, J.Thompson, Z.Cook, M.Cluff 2-4 9-9 [53.01]
Ht 4: B.Trigger, L.Kerr, M.Marson, B.Barker [fell exc] 3-3 12-12 [54.05]
Ht 5: J.Thompson, R.Lawson, T.Thomsen, M.Cluff 3-3 15-15 [54.09]
Ht 6: N.Klindt, A.Bowtell, P.Starke, L.Kerr 5-1 20-16 [54.53]
Ht 7: A.Rowe, Z.Cook, Z.Kennedy, B.Barker 1-5 21-21 [53.60]
Ht 8: A.Bowtell, B.Trigger, P.Starke, T.Thomsen 5-1 26-22 [53.88]
Ht 9: P.Starke, J.Thompson, M.Cluff, L.Kerr [rtd] 3-3 29-25 [54.52]
Ht 10: A.Rowe, Z.Cook, N.Klindt, A.Bowtell 1-5 30-30 [53.84]
Ht 11: J.Thompson, T.Thomsen, R.Lawson, Z.Kennedy, B.Barker [NS] 3-3 33-33 [54.55]
Ht 12: A.Rowe, Z.Kennedy, B.Trigger, M.Marson 3-3 36-36 [53.92]
Ht 13: R.Lawson, N.Klindt, A.Bowtell, L.Kerr, B.Barker [NS] 3-3 39-39 [53.70]
Ht 14: Z.Kennedy, J.Thompson, P.Starke, Z.Cook 5-1 44-40 [54.32]
Ht 15: R.Lawson, J.Thompson, A.Rowe, N.Klindt 2-4 46-44 [54.75]

SGB Referee Mr Chris Durno
POOLE won toss and chose gates 1&3 | PLYMOUTH choose gates 2&4 in heat 15