RESULT: COVENTRY 47 POOLE 43

Without their points plundering pair of Poles, Maciej Janowski and Przemyslaw Pawlicki due to PZM start permissions not being granted in view of their world championship qualifying engagements this week the makeshift Pirates were already facing a tough task against a Coventry side anxious to displace them in the league table standings.

Add to that the first track action for the month for Josh Grajczonek after he had been hurt at this very venue at the end of May the odds were largely stacked against the Pirates. Odds that grew when guest Daniel Nermark was forced to withdraw from the meeting after a first ride tangle with Chris Harris, in a similar position to where former number one Chris Holder (who himself was in the wars again, breaking a wrist in Denmark)  saw his 2013 season come to an early end. 

On that occasion Holder suffered career-threatening injuries, whilst the outcome for Nermark was thankfully, far less serious with a suspected broken finger the initial progrnosis. But nonetheless it was serious enough for Nermark to have to sit out the remainder of his guest appearance after struggling to complete four laps for a point in the re-run of that heat, alongside his fellow compatriot Simon Gustafsson also a Pirates' guest..

That left the Pirates needing to invoke the Immediate Rider Replacement facility and calling on big performances from their lesser lights. And Vaclav Milik led the response with his best score of the season and looking well accomplished on his first visit to the Coventry circuit.

Milik, who along with Janowski and Pawlicki is on world championship qualifying duty tomorrow (Saturday) was allowed to race by his Federation, unlike the restrictions imposed by the Polish PZM and he earned the praise of team manager Neil Middleditch afterwards.

"Vaclav rode like a little terrier for us out there tonight and he certainly kept us in the hunt for that most welcome league point. We knew it was going to be tough without Shamek and Magic but with Darcy (Ward) in imperious form, Kyle, (Newman) battling away for his valuable paid 9,  Josh (Grajczonek) popping out to win heat 14 and Vaclav really stepping up to the plate, we were good enough in the end to sustain our top four place in the league.

Ward registered his second unbeaten performance in two meetings for the Pirates, winning his five rides with fun as Poole eventually went down by a 43-47 scoreline, but as the margin of defeat was within six points they gained a league point with Coventry collecting two to put them equal with both the Pirates and Eastbourne on 27 points.

COVENTRY 47
H. Andersen 2,3,3,1'=9+1
A. Summers 0,3,0,2=5
M. JepsenJensen 2',1',3,1',0=7+3
K. Hansen 2,2,1,2=7
C. Harris 3,2',2,2,2=11+1
J. Jacobs 1',1',1',0=3+3
S. Lambert 2,0,2,1'=5+1
POOLE 43
D. Ward 3,3,3,3,3=15
V. Milik 1,3,2,2,3,1=12
S. Gustafsson 0,1,0,1'=2+1
J. Grajczonek 0,2,0,0,3=5
D. Nermark 1=1
K. Newman 3,1',3,1,0=8+1
B. Hopwood 0,0,0,0=0

Ht 1 D. Ward H. Andersen V. Milik A. Summers 2-4 (2-4) (59.8)
Ht 2 K. Newman S. Lambert J. Jacobs B. Hopwood 3-3 (5-7) (61.4)
Ht 3 C. Harris M. JepsenJensen D. Nermark S. Gustafsson 5-1 (10-8) (59.9)
Ht 4 V. Milik K. Hansen J. Jacobs B. Hopwood 3-3 (13-11) (61.1)
Ht 5 H. Andersen C. Harris S. Gustafsson J. Grajczonek 5-1 (18-12) (59.7)
Ht 6 D. Ward K. Hansen M. JepsenJensen B. Hopwood 3-3 (21-15) (60.1)
Ht 7 A. Summers J. Grajczonek K. Newman S. Lambert 3-3 (24-18) (60.5)
Ht 8 M. JepsenJensen V. Milik K. Hansen S. Gustafsson 4-2 (28-20) (60.5)
Ht 9 K. Newman S. Lambert J. Jacobs B. Hopwood 3-3 (31-23) (62.7)
Ht 10 H. Andersen V. Milik S. Gustafsson A. Summers 3-3 (34-26) (61.3)
Ht 11 D. Ward C. Harris M. JepsenJensen J. Grajczonek 3-3 (37-29) (60.2)
Ht 12 V. Milik A. Summers K. Newman J. Jacobs 2-4 (39-33) (60.5)
Ht 13 D. Ward C. Harris H. Andersen J. Grajczonek 3-3 (42-36) (59.8)
Ht 14 J. Grajczonek K. Hansen S. Lambert K. Newman 3-3 (45-39) (60.9)
Ht 15 D. Ward C. Harris V. Milik M. JepsenJensen 2-4 (47-43) (59.9)

Referee: Mr Dave Watters
Gates:  Poole won toss and took gates 1&3 . Coventry took 1&3 in heat 15