REPORT Oxford v Poole BSN Group

Poole Wessex Marine Pirates produced a spirited fighting comeback before eventually suffering a narrow 45-44 loss at Oxford in a tough contest, with Tom Brennan again in sublime form.

The 'Wessex Marine' Pirates endured another 'slow burn' in this, their first away meeting in the BSN Series Southern Group and apart from a fine heat three victory from Brennan who was shoulder to shoulder with Cameron Heeps for the opening lap, were largely second best to the Cheetahs across the first half of the meeting.
Brennan chased Scott Nicholls hard in heat seven but the silver fox was wily enough to show that age is no barrier if you have the talent, a heat later though saw an incident packed race that ultimately took four attempts to start before a result could be declared. In the first time of asking Sam Hagon, taking a ride from Max Perry, was tracking Henry Atkins when Tobias Thomsen fell on the second lap, earning disqualification. Atkins was on the deck at the first turn of the re-run, the cause adjudged to have been an unsatisfactory start. The ensuing long delay to allow the Oxford lad to get his bikes sorted didn't seem to faze Poole's single combatant, Hagon and he was clear when both his opponents fell, close to where Thomsen had previously become unseated. A review of the footage left referee Dave Watters determining that Atkins was the primary cause and Luke Killeen's fall was consequential to it it and so the heat was reduced to a straight match race between the two nineteen year-olds with Hagon taking the honours.
Rather then make him do two on the trot, Poole deployed the tactical option in heat nine, drafting in Richard Lawson to pair with Ben Cook and they both made good moves on Heeps only for the race to be stopped when Jenkins had fallen behind them. In the re-start, without the Oxford number four, the Pirates repeated their exploits, Lawson out-smarting Heeps who had tried to move him out wide.
Heat ten had Brennan at his best as he gave Sam Masters plenty of reminders that he was on his tail before making a superb pass to maintain this min-run of Poole race winners. Zach Cook's third place made it a second heat advantage in as many heats and from having been eight down, the Pirates were suddenly just as single point behind the Cheetahs with the bonus point assured.
Lawson made his best start of the night in heat eleven and upsides him was partner Thomsen leaving Nicholls in an uncharacteristic third place. Thomsen thwarted every move to maintain the Pirates revival and the resulting 5-1 put Poole ahead by a margin of three points. Hopes of further extending it were dashed when Hagon was left trailing Heeps and Killeen but the lead protected through Brennan's third victory on the night. Lawson left himself a lot of work to do in heat thirteen as he found himself conceding ground on Nicholls and Masters and whilst he had the pace and skill to get by the Australian and closed in on his prime prey, Nicholls just had the flag on his side and just a single point separated the two sides again, this time in Poole's favour.
Oxford produced a maximum heat score in fourteen, Zach Cook giving chase as well as he could leaving Poole needing a heat advantage from fifteen if they were to produce the shock victory. Brennan was again in command, taking the win but again Nicholls denied Lawson, this time by passing him on the third turn enabling Oxford to hold on by a point.

OXFORD 45 (74)
Sam Masters 3,3,2,1,0=9 (5)
Henry Atkins 0,0,XD,RS=0 (3)
Cameron Heeps 2,3,1,2=8 (4)
Jordan Jenkins 1',1,FD,2'=4+2 (4)
Scott Nicholls 3,3,1,3,2=12 (5)
Ashton Boughen 3,0,F,RS,3=6 (4)
Luke Killeen 2',1,2,0,1'=6+2 (5)
.
POOLE 44 (105)
Richard Lawson 2,2,3,3,2,1=13 (6)
Tobias Thomsen 1',0,FD,2'=3+2 (4)
Tom Brennan 3,2,3,3,3=14 (5)
Zach Cook 0,1',1,1=3+1 (4)
Ben Cook 2,1',2',0=5+2 (4)
Sam Hagon 1,2,3,TS,0=6 (4)
Max Perry F,0,RS,0=0 (3)
.
Ht 1:  S.Masters, R.Lawson, T.Thomsen, H.Atkins 3-3 3-3 [58.56]
Ht 2:  A.Boughen, L.Killeen, S.Hagon, M.Perry [fell] 5-1 8-4 [59.32]
Ht 3:  T.Brennan, C.Heeps, J.Jenkins, Z.Cook 3-3 11-7 [59.35]
Ht 4:  S.Nicholls, B.Cook, L.Killeen, M.Perry 4-2 15-9 [59.66]
Ht 5:  C.Heeps, R.Lawson, J.Jenkins, T.Thomsen 4-2 19-11 [59.75]
Ht 6:  S.Masters, S.Hagon, B.Cook, H.Atkins 3-3 22-14 [59.37]
Ht 7:  S.Nicholls, T.Brennan, Z.Cook, A.Boughen 3-3 25-17 [59.1]
Ht 8:  S.Hagon, L.Killeen, H.Atkins[exc], T.Thomsen [fell exc] 2-3 27-20 [60.66]
Ht 9:  R.Lawson, B.Cook, C.Heeps, J.Jenkins [fell exc], S.Hagon [Tac Subbed] 1-5 28-25 [60.13]
Ht 10:  T.Brennan, S.Masters, Z.Cook, A.Boughen [fell] 2-4 30-29 [59.97]
Ht 11:  R.Lawson, T.Thomsen, S.Nicholls, L.Killeen 1-5 31-34 [60.16]
Ht 12:  T.Brennan, C.Heeps, L.Killeen, S.Hagon 3-3 34-37 [59.81]
Ht 13:  S.Nicholls, R.Lawson, S.Masters, B.Cook 4-2 38-39 [60.96]
Ht 14:  A.Boughen, J.Jenkins, Z.Cook, M.Perry 5-1 43-40 [60.31]
Ht 15:  T.Brennan, S.Nicholls, R.Lawson, S.Masters 2-4 45-44 []

SCB Referee Dave Watters 
POOLE won toss and chose gates 1&3 | OXFORD choose gates 1&3 in heat 15  
League Points: OXFORD 2 POOLE 1
 

Meeting reaction here