RESULT POOLE 47 COVENTRY 48

COVENTRY’S Bees had a sting in their tail last night as they came back from 12 points behind with five heats remaining to end Poole’s home unbeaten record stretching back to August 2013.

The Midland side picked up their first win at Wimborne Road since their famous title-winning play-off final victory at the Dorset venue in 2010 bolstered by a vital 8-1 heat advantage from heat 11 through tactical rider Kenneth Hansen and ex-Pirate Hans Andersen.

Poole had looked well in control of the meeting at that stage, 12 points to the good and traditionally with their strong finish still to play, but once the Bees came to within striking distance they delivered the hammer blow.
Whilst Josh Grajczonek produced a spectacular winning heat 12 ride to protect a 5 point advantage but the visitors eroded that to just one point to set up a dramatic finale.

Poole effectively needed to share the heat to maintain that 280 day unbeaten home stretch. Three=time race winner Przemyslaw Pawlicki made a sharp gate and looking to join him at the front with an exuberant ride around the boards was returning club skipper Darcy Ward, but the Aussie, still nursing a knee injury, ran out of track and became separated from his machine. Whilst he quickly scrambled to try and clear the track his efforts were in vain as the red lights came on, arguably far quicker than they needed and consequently the race had to go to a re-run, with Pawlicki the sole Pirate.

It was a big ask for the Pole and whilst he threw everything he had into trying to hunt down Andersen he had been held up long enough by Hansen to make that a forlorn hope.

The defeat was far from the result the Pirates were looking for as they now embark on three straight away matches over the course of the next 5 days, beginning with a visit to table topping King's Lynn Thursday, although the good news from the Pirates camp is that Ward appears to have suffered no further damage following that heat 15 incident and has declared himself fit to ride on.

POOLE 47
D. Ward 3,2',3,2,FDq=10+1
J. Grajczonek 0,3,1,3=7
P. Pawlicki 3,3,3,0,2=11
V. Milik 2,0,2',2=6+1
M. Janowski 2',3,1,0=6+1
K. Newman 2,1',2,0,0=5+1
B. Hopwood 1',0,1'=2+2

COVENTRY 48
H. Andersen 2,1',2',3,3=11+2
K. Howarth 1',3,1,2=7+1
R. Fisher 0,FDq,0=0
K. Hansen 1,2,6,3,1=13
C. Harris 1,2,4,1=8
J. Garrity 3,0,1',3,1',1=9+2
J. Sarjeant R,0,F=0

Ht 1 D. Ward H. Andersen K. Howarth J. Grajczonek 3-3 (3-3) (60.07)
Ht 2 J. Garrity K. Newman B. Hopwood J. Sarjeant (Rtd) 3-3 (6-6) (61.31)
Ht 3 P. Pawlicki M. Janowski C. Harris R. Fisher 5-1 (11-7) (60.65)
Ht 4 K. Howarth V. Milik K. Newman J. Garrity 3-3 (14-10) (60.85)
Ht 5 M. Janowski D. Ward K. Hansen J. Sarjeant 5-1 (19-11) (60.28)
Ht 6 P. Pawlicki C. Harris H. Andersen V. Milik 3-3 (22-14) (60.79)
Ht 7 J. Grajczonek K. Hansen J. Garrity B. Hopwood 3-3 (25-17) (61.1)
Ht 8 P. Pawlicki V. Milik K. Howarth R. Fisher (Fell d/q) 5-1 (30-18) (61)
Ht 9 J. Garrity K. Newman B. Hopwood J. Sarjeant (Fell) 3-3 (33-21) (62.22)
Ht 10 D. Ward C. Harris (TR) J. Grajczonek R. Fisher 4-4 (37-25) (60.88)
Ht 11 K. Hansen (TR) H. Andersen M. Janowski P. Pawlicki 1-8 (38-33) (61.5)
Ht 12 J. Grajczonek K. Howarth J. Garrity K. Newman 3-3 (41-36) (60.94)
Ht 13 H. Andersen D. Ward C. Harris M. Janowski 2-4 (43-40) (60.53)
Ht 14 K. Hansen V. Milik J. Garrity K. Newman 2-4 (45-44) (61.9)
Ht 15 H. Andersen P. Pawlicki K. Hansen D. Ward (Fell d/q) 2-4 (47-48) (60.9)

Referee: Ms Christina Turnball
Gates: Poole  won toss and took gates 1&3 . Coventry take 1&3 in heat 15