Poole Pirates v Newcastle Diamonds

Poole took their race points tally this season against Newcastle to 120 with a clinical home 59-31 victory that maintains their 100% home record for their first season back in tier two of British speedway.

Skipper Danny King produced an inspiring four ride maximum and his fellow heat-leader Steve Worrall was also eligible for the traditional bumps as he was also unbeaten by a Diamond.

New Danish recruit Benjamin Basso was the first though to feel 'the bumps' as the conditions combined with his full-throttle style and eagerness to impress resulted in him flipping his machine leaving Poole to open with three points courtesy of Rory Schlein's victory. Danyon Hume and Ben Cook set the Pirates on their way with a convincing heat two 5-1, albeit there was plenty of distant between all four riders throughout the race and this prompted an early track grade.

The track curation did Newcastle no favours, Steve Worrall and Stefan Nielsen too powerful for their mid-order rivals Max Clegg and the much-seen James Wright. Danny King showed no fear of conditions as he blasted around the first and second turn to assume the lead after being out-trapped and the move was converted into a heat advantage when Hume passed Adam Roynon. Max Clegg was eager in heat five and gained himself a fifteen metre handicap start only to fall on the final lap in another well spread out race that had Worrall and Nielsen occupying first and third places with Ben Barker in between them. 

Basso wasted no time in pulling clear of his partner Rory Schlein and race on to his first Wimborne Road victory, the score moving on to 26-10. The Pirates then took their aggregate points against Newcastle over the ninety mark when King and Ben Cook combined for a 5-1, Poole's fourth in seven heats. Basso was all set to make it two wins on the night as he led by the proverbial mile in heat eight, but then spun out allowing Barker to assume the lead. He had Roynon backing up but Hume spotted an opening and grasped it, the late pass restricting the Diamonds to a mere 2-4 and making very little inroads into the deficit. 

Nielsen was adjudged the cause of a heat nine stoppage when he and Mountain tangled, so it was down to Worrall to defend Poole's position in the restart, a task he delivered with consummate ease. Barker won his tactical ride, early chances by both Schlein and Basso to try and stop him never really hitting the mark, the score mvoed on to 39-21.

Ben Cook reared badly at the tapes in heat eleven but that didn't prevent him from producing a terrific drive up the inside to pick off Mountain and put pressure on second placed Barker, whilst King led. Hume and Worrall team rode home to perfection for the fifth maximum of the meeting and set the score at 48-24. King was on a mission to keep his unbeaten performance going and he stormed to victory in heat thirteen, Schlein content to not take any chances and just defend his third place, Mountain not any real threat in truth. The only two Pirates who hadn't won an outright race (both had paid wins to their names), Nielsen and Cook were out in heat fourteen and the former got caught out at the start as the tapes seemed to be held for a much longer interval than had been the practice over the previous thirteen heats. But despite conceding early ground he still passed Clegg whilst Cook was steaming ahead out front, untroubled by Roynon. 

If the Pirates wanted to match their Brough Park score they needed a 5-1 from heat 15 and had their unbeaten pairing (King and Worrall) gone to tapes they might well have achieved that, but they watched on from the in-field as Schlein and Hume took up the challenge. Hume went for a big outside move and got caught up in material, clearing the track to avoid any red lights having to come on, whilst Schlein finished as he had started with victory over Barker.

POOLE 59
R.Schlein (3,2',2,1,3)=11+1(5)
B.Basso (F,3,F,1')=4+1(4)
S.Worrall (3,3,3,2')=11+1(4)
S.Nielsen (2',1,XD,1)=4+1(4)
D.King (3,3,3,3)=12(4)
B.Cook (2',2',1,3)=8+2(4)
D.Hume (3,1,2,3,F)=9(5)

NEWCASTLE 31
B.Barker (2,2,3,3,2,2,2)=16(7)
J.Wright (1',0,1,0,0)=2+1(5)
M.Clegg (1,F,0,0)=1(4)
C.Mountain (2,1,2,0,0,1')=6+1(6)
A.Freeman (R,0,1')=1+1(3)
A.Roynon (1,R,1,1,2)=5(5)

Ht.1 R.Schlein, B.Barker, J.Wright, B.Basso (fell) 3-3 3-3 (awd)
Ht.2 D.Hume,B.Cook,A.Roynon,A.Freeman (rtd),5-1 8-4 (60.47)
Ht.3 S.Worrall,S.Nielsen,M.Clegg,J.Wright,5-1 13-5 (60.25)
Ht.4 D.King,C.Mountain,D.Hume,A.Roynon (rtd),4-2 17-7 (60)
Ht.5 S.Worrall,B.Barker,S.Nielsen,M.Clegg (fell),4-2 21-9 (awd)
Ht.6 B.Basso,R.Schlein,C.Mountain,A.Freeman,5-1 26-10 (61.25)
Ht.7 D.King,B.Cook,J.Wright,M.Clegg,5-1 31-11 (60.75)
Ht.8 B.Barker,D.Hume,A.Roynon,B.Basso (fell),2-4 33-15 (61.38)
Ht.9 S.Worrall,C.Mountain,A.Freeman,S.Nielsen (Disqualified),3-3 36-18 (61.85)
Ht.10 B.Barker,R.Schlein,B.Basso,J.Wright,3-3 39-21 (61)
Ht.11 D.King,B.Barker,B.Cook,C.Mountain,4-2 43-23 (60.84)
Ht.12 D.Hume,S.Worrall,A.Roynon,J.Wright,5-1 48-24 (61.94)
Ht.13 D.King,B.Barker,R.Schlein,C.Mountain,4-2 52-26 (60.31)
Ht.14 B.Cook,A.Roynon,S.Nielsen,M.Clegg,4-2 56-28 (62.09)
Ht.15 R.Schlein,B.Barker,C.Mountain,D.Hume (fell),3-3 59-31 (61.12)

SCB Referee: Chris Durno
Newcastle won the toss and took gates 1&3. Poole took gates 1&3 in heat 15
Rider of the Night: Danny King