SUPER PIRATES FEEL THE HEAT IN SUPERHEAT DECIDER

5 titles in six years, 3 in successive seasons, 2 after a Superheat decider and 1 relieved Dorset club, summaries the Poole 'Wessex Marine' Pirates achievements after their nail-biting SGB Cab Direct Championship triumph over the Scunthorpe Scorpions.

A huge crowd had gathered at Wimborne Road where the atmosphere simply tense all night. Poole had the task of trying to pull 8 points back from their first leg defeat, but were soon 12 points adrift as the meeting opened with exchanges of 5-1 in the first four heats, with both sides losing a rider in that time.

Nathan Ablitt was ruled out after a heat two crash then Lewis Kerr fell in heat three and was seeing stars - but not those of his team-mates!

It took a heat six 5-1 from skipper Zach Cook and Will Cairns before Poole could move ahead of Scunthorpe on the night and a further seven heats before they could actually get ahead in the tie for the very first time.

But a magnificent ride from Michael Palm-Toft to win heat 14 after starting 15 metres behind as a result of a tapes infringement penalty kept the Scorpions very much in the tie, and then their skipper Josh Pickering took the title race into a Superheat decider as he first passed Cook then picked off Richard Lawson on the final lap.  

The same four riders (Michael Palm-Toft) battled in the decider and Cook managed to get clear. Pickering knew he had to try and help Palm-Toft get by Lawson and he did his best to slow up the Rocketman. but to a crescendo of sound, Lawson maintained position, even threatening to pass Pickering at several points,  to secure Poole's 13th league title under Matt Ford's tenure.

The delighted senior member of the promotion admitted;

"That was some meeting and we got the result for all our fans who came out in force, but what a great, great meeting. And, you know, the most difficult thing now is to repeat it again next year. We have already started piecing the team together. We know what we are doing and which way we are going, and I am sure we will be okay. But let's enjoy this one right now."

One member of the last two title winning sides who will not be part of the 2027 septet will be Lewis Kerr, as he broke the news to the Poole fans at the end of the meeting that he had decided to 'hang up his kevlars'.  Looking back at the meeting he admitted

 "I'm gutted to be honest, to have had to pull out tonight but I had hit my head quite badly and thought I would be okay but then my vision just sort of began to go and it just wasn't worth the risk and letting everybody down. But they covered me very well. I have had two years here with Poole and two league titles. That feels so good."

Lawson had huge praise for the Poole fans, who as co-promoter Dan Ford had been saying in the build-up to the meeting could be Poole's strength. Lawson revealed:

"It doesn't get any easier. That pressure is pretty surreal, but as I came to the tapes I could hear all of you guys and it wasn't normal. I mean, you guys are loud usually but you had an extra gear tonight and as I pulled up to the start I could hear that roar and I was just like, right this is on, we are going for it, and yeah I pulled it off. It has been a great team this year. A pleasure to ride with every rider in this team. It's been a young team but quite refreshing. You know, last season was pretty special but I remember saying then that the only thing missing was not being able to do it in front of all our own fans. Well tonight we've ticked that box and it is awesome."  

POOLE 49+6 -Richard Lawson 12 (3,3,3,1,2) ,Zach Cook 11+1 (1,3,3,3,1') ,Kyle Newman 10+1 (3,2',3,1,1,F) ,Cooper Rushen 9 (1,0,3,3,2) ,William Cairns 5+1 (0,2,2',1,0) ,Slater Lightcap 2+1 (2',0,0,RS) ,Lewis Kerr 0 (X0,NS,NS,NS)
SCUNTHORPE 41+2 -Josh Pickering 12+1 (2',3,2,2,3) ,Michael Palm-Toft 9+1 (2',2,2,3EH,0) ,Jordan Jenkins  7+2 (3,1',1',2) ,Connor Mountain 7+1 (3,1,2,1') ,Luke Harrison 4 (1,1,2,0) ,Ryan Ingram 2 (1,0,0,0,F,0,1) ,Nathan Ablitt 0 (FNS,NS,NS,NS)

Heat details