PIRATES MARCH ON AS THEY ASTOUND AN EX-WORLD CHAMPION

The 'Wessex Marine' Pirates became the first team this season to defeat the Edinburgh Monarchs  at Armadale, as they progressed to their sixth successive Grand Final in the championship play-offs.

Their 39-33 victory, in a curtailed meeting, due to weather conditions left northern team manager Gary Havelock almost lost for words, claiming:-

"Marvellous, absolutely thoroughly, professional. Superb, excellent job. I can't find enough superlatives to talk about the boys, you know. We could have easily come into this meeting underestimating things, but we didn't. We attacked it from the start. I think the 5-1 heat 2 was massive, absolutely massive. And to actually beat them, I don't think, well, I don't believe, they've been beaten here this year. So yeah, another final. Fantastic. Involved in that heat two win was Kyle Newman, but I can tell you that we are changing his name - it is now going to be Kyle Zmarzlik! I mean, unbelievable. He's just creeping around that kerb using the line that the Edinburgh riders usually use and actually passing them, not just passing reserves, but passing top riders. And yeah, you know, they say reserves win meetings, well you look at Wednesday. Had Slater (Lightcap) not broken down, I believe we would have got paid 21 out of a possible 24 at reserve, and that's just phenomenal, you know! I guess now we have to wait for news on Slater. I saw him with a big gash in his hand where he took all the skin off, but if I remember rightly, it was his right hand and, as a speedway rider it isn't as important as your left. You can just tape it up and use the throttle, but I mean, I don't know. Obviously, he'll have to sleep on it and see how he goes, but I'm sure he'll have an uncomfortable 8-9 hours, whatever it is back to Poole, sat in the front of the van, but you know, that's speedway, unfortunately, and yeah, it's just a shame." 

Newman's total performance netted him paid 14 from five rides and afterwards quipped:

"I was disappointed to drop that point. Unfortunately that one there (heat 9) I just didn't have a lot of time in between races and I think I got to the start and I didn't even get to prep the start or anything. So I didn't quite make the gate and then I think it was Sedge (Justin Sedgmen) in that race and he had a nice line and I was sitting behind Zach and you know, as you're doing these sorts of meetings, you just got to do it right. Obviously if the conditions were better and the meeting was in doubt, then it's a different ball game. But when the track was like this and we had the lead that we did, sometimes you've got to use your head. So, like I said, I packed in for that race and then the other races I felt comfortable making passes."

At the other end of the team, number one Richard Lawson continued to rekindle that form that his self-criticism required, commenting:

"Starts are key in these conditions, which we knew, so yeah, it was nice to open with a winning ride and get the win on the night as well. We can say job done and move into another final. So yeah, I'm happy. Personally, it was good for me. Like I have admitted, I was definitely a bit subpar on my form, so I wasn't too happy. But I have got some fresh engines back from service and that helps. They're really firing good now. So, like I said, feeling good, especially this time of year and for the finals."

Poole never went behind in this second leg, protecting the 24 point advantage from the Wimborne Road meeting with a passion, as they restricted Edinburgh to just three heat advantages from the twelve completed heats, and one of those came after Lightcap had spun out awkwardly in heat six, damaging his hand and having to sit out the remainder of the meeting. But with Newman in exquisite form the Pirates had the necessary armoury to to claim victory on the night and now await the result of the other semi-final, scheduled for September 25th, before knowing whether it will be a repeat of last year's final when they dramatically beat Glasgow or if Scunthorpe can protect their sixteen point first leg advantage.

Scorers EDINBURGH 33 -Justin Sedgmen 9 (3,2,3,1) ,Kye Thomson 8 (2,3,3) ,Dan Thompson 6 (0,3,3) ,Jonatan Grahn 5+1 (1',1,2,1) ,Michele Castagna 2+1 (2',0,0) ,Jordy Loftus 2 (0,2,0,R) ,Mitchell Cluff 1 (1,FD,0)
POOLE 39 -Kyle Newman 11+3 (2',3,3,1',2') ,Richard Lawson 8 (3,3,2) ,Lewis Kerr 7 (R,2,2,3) ,Zach Cook 5 (1,2,2) ,William Cairns 3+1 (0,1,1,1') ,Slater Lightcap 3 (3,FD,RS,RS) ,Cooper Rushen 2+1 (1,1',0)

Photo credit Liam Cockwell

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