REACTION:l KERR CURSES LUCK AGAINST BATTLING BERWICK

Poole's seemingly permanent residency in British Speedway's second-tier KO Cup Final is coming under threat  in the British Speedway's second tier KO Cup final is coming under threat after they were restricted to a mere four point advantage by the Berwick Bandits in the first leg of the semi-final.

Poole's 47-43 lead might have been larger had 'lady luck' been a little kinder to them but Berwick deserve to be credited with digging in and keeping the Pirates on a tight rein.

The biggest talking point of the meeting was a heat fourteen disqualification for Cooper Rushen when he and Jack Smith took trips into the air fence. It appeared that Smith had lifted and ridden into Rushen who was on his outside but after studying replays the referee decreed that the Poole man had been turning into his opponent.

A disappointed, but philosophical Rushen said,

"I had a good first couple of rides and then the third one was just a dodgy corner and I had a bit of red mist going down that back straight. I should have carried on really. It was stupid on my part . But then in the last one...well. yes. There's some questionable actions going on, should I say., but it's speedway right? Everyone will have their own opinion of it. I was just riding my line and then I felt a back wheel come round the back of my head, and into the fence we went. But, yeah, as I say it's speedway but we'll battle on and learn a few tips and tricks.'

Rushen had earlier produced a tremendous last to first move in heat five and recorded his personal best time around the Wimborne Road circuit (59.70 seconds) potentially setting up a 5-1 with Lewis Kerr, but a shed chain left Kerr sprawled on the track as he came out of the fourth turn.

Kerr summed up the night by acknowledging the strength of the Bandits

"They are a very good side this year and we can't take anything away from them. But a lot of things didn't go our way tonight. For me, hitting that hole down the bottom there that knocked my chain off when it was a potential maximum win. It's always going to be tough when you get those. The conditions were tough and the track staff did a great job getting the track to where it was. But, in terms of going forward, it is just the mindset we always have as a unit and that will be to go there, win and reach the final.

 For all Poole's misfortune they were gifted a slice of luck when in-form Jordan Jenkins - who is due to guest for the Pirates on Friday at Glasgow in place of William Cairns - packed up in a similar spot to where Kerr's second place had gone begging and that gifted Poole a 5-1, putting them into a double figure lead. 

But the Bandits came back and, with a shock 5-1 in heat fifteen cut the deficit to potentially just one heat ahead of Saturday's second leg.

POOLE 47 -William Cairns 11 (3,1,3,1,0,3) ,Lewis Kerr 10 (3,F,3,3,1) ,Zach Cook 8 (0,3,3,2) ,Chris Harris 6+1 (2,1',3,0,0) ,Kyle Newman 5+1 (R,2,1,2') ,Cooper Rushen 5+1 (2',3,R,FD) ,Fraser Bowes 2 (F,2,RS,NS)
BERWICK 43 -Nick Morris 9+1 (1,3,2,1,2') ,Jye Etheridge 9+1 (3,1',0,2,3) ,Jordan Jenkins 9 (2,3,2,2,R,RS) ,Leon Flint 7+1 (1,2,1',3) ,Victor Palovaara 4 (1,2,RS,1) ,Jack Smith 3+3 (1',0,1',RS,1') ,Lasse Fredriksen 2 (F,0,0,2)

Full heat details

Photo credit: Tony Hartmann