RESULT: PIRATES v STARS (with video action and photos)

Struggling VOLVO CARS POOLE PIRATES suffered their second successive home league defeat as they crumbled beneath the Stars, producing just five race winners over the course of the meeting which saw a double figure return for Chris Holder as he led the visitors to victory with four impressive wins of his own.

The man that replaced Holder in the Poole side over the winter, Krzysztof Kasprzak, had another indifferent night, running two last places before picking up 5 points in his final two rides in his first meeting back since injury.

The bright spot for the Pirates was undoubtedly the determined performance once again of their skipper Hans Andersen, claiming one of those five race wins, when on double points, and then putting in a stunning shift in heat 13 to battle by Holder and Batchelor to partner Kasprzak home for a welcomed 5-1 for the Pirates, although the mini-Poole recovery coming far too late in the game.

The Pirates introduced Richie Worrall (5 points) as a replacement for injured Brady Kurtz, a rider's whose loss to the side is, in the candid view of captain Andersen "a difficult rider to replace as he has been so pivotal to us this season, knocking in big scores as a regular occurrence and we needed that tonight."

Reserve Paul Starke twice took the chequered flag for the home side, winning heat 2 to level the meeting and then storming by GB International Robert Lambert to triumph in heat 14 offering up another home heat advantage but it was nothing other than a consolation as it only closed the deficit to 5 points ahead of the final heat.

The Pirates have little time to dwell on this result, which saw them drop a place in the league table with King's Lynn leap-frogging over them,  as they prepare to hit the road tomorrow for the return encounter against the Stars. The Pirates' hosts expect to have Simon Lambert back in their side which will mean Danny Ayres will step down.

video footage courtesy of Re-Run Productions  (licensed by GSI/BSPA agreement)

Poole 44
K. Kasprzak 0,0,2,3=5
J. Holder 2,1,3,1',1'=8+2
N. Klindt 0,1,0=1
R. Worrall 2,0,2,1=5
H. Andersen 2,6,2,2',2=14+1
P. Starke 3,R,2',0,1,3=9+1
J. Shanes 1,1',0=2+1

King's Lynn 49
T. Batchelor 1,3,3,0=7
T. Jorgensen 3,2',0,1=6+1
K. Huckenbeck 3,1',0,3=7+1
R. Lambert 1,2,3,2,0=8
C. Holder 3,3,3,1,3=13
L. Rose 2,2',1,1,2'=8+2
D. Ayres 0,0,0=0

Ht 1 T. Jorgensen J. Holder T. Batchelor K. Kasprzak 2-4 (2-4) (59.72)
Ht 2 P. Starke L. Rose J. Shanes D. Ayres 4-2 (6-6) (60.09)
Ht 3 K. Huckenbeck R. Worrall R. Lambert N. Klindt 2-4 (8-10) (60.5)
Ht 4 C. Holder H. Andersen J. Shanes D. Ayres 3-3 (11-13) (60.1)
Ht 5 T. Batchelor T. Jorgensen N. Klindt R. Worrall 1-5 (12-18) (60.56)
Ht 6 C. Holder L. Rose J. Holder K. Kasprzak 1-5 (13-23) (60.82)
Ht 7 H. Andersen (TR) R. Lambert K. Huckenbeck P. Starke (Rtd) 6-3 (19-26) (60.88)
Ht 8 J. Holder P. Starke L. Rose T. Jorgensen 5-1 (24-27) (60.84)
Ht 9 C. Holder R. Worrall L. Rose N. Klindt 2-4 (26-31) (60.6)
Ht 10 R. Lambert K. Kasprzak J. Holder K. Huckenbeck 3-3 (29-34) (60.87)
Ht 11 T. Batchelor H. Andersen T. Jorgensen P. Starke 2-4 (31-38) (60.69)
Ht 12 K. Huckenbeck L. Rose P. Starke J. Shanes 1-5 (32-43) (60.63)
Ht 13 K. Kasprzak H. Andersen C. Holder T. Batchelor 5-1 (37-44) ()
Ht 14 P. Starke R. Lambert R. Worrall D. Ayres 4-2 (41-46) (61.37)
Ht 15 C. Holder H. Andersen J. Holder R. Lambert 3-3 (44-49) (61.44)

Referee M.Breckon
Gates: King's Lynn won toss and chose gates 1&3 in heat 1. Poole took gates 1&3 in heat 15
Poole 0 league points King's Lynn 3 league points
Rider of the Night: Hans Andersen