Ford delighted with Pirates' Belle Vue fightback

Danny Ford believes the No1 Carpet Cleaning Poole Pirates’ dramatic fightback at Belle Vue can be the catalyst for another SGB Premiership title tilt.

Ford saw his class of 2019 all but beaten after eight heats at the National Speedway Stadium, as the Aces ran into a comprehensive 16-point advantage.

But Ford was delighted as his septet fought back to within four points following a sensational heat 14 5-1 from Brady Kurtz and skipper Josh Grajczonek.

And in a heat 15 full of drama, Kurtz linked up with fellow Aussie Jack Holder to keep Australian champion Max Fricke and rising British star Dan Bewley at bay and secure a 45-45 draw.

Ford said: “It really wasn’t looking great for us after heat eight and I was thinking it was going to be a long afternoon.

“But the boys have really come together well over the past week following the wins at Somerset and over Belle Vue at home.

“And this draw really feels like a third successive win because we were completely out of it halfway through the meeting.

“It’s results like this that can really propel a team forward and I hope that’s the case with us now we’re up and running.”

Kurtz finished the afternoon with paid 16, while Holder continued his improvement in fortunes with a paid nine return in Manchester.

Nicolai Klindt’s 7+2, Grajczonek’s 6+2 score and Nico Covatti’s healthy six-point return from reserve were also key in the Pirates’ fightback.

Full report here...