Edinburgh v Poole - KO Cup 1st Leg

Poole gave their trophy hunting hopes a real boost with a first leg victory in the Knockout Cup final, beating Edinburgh Monarchs by 47-42 to take a five point advantage into Wednesday night's concluding leg.

Throughout the cat and mouse exchanges of the afternoon meeting the two sides tended to match each other before back-to-back heat advantages for the Pirates in heats twelve and thirteen put the visitors in the ascendency.

Nerves were jingling in the opening heat, Danyon Hume driving through the tapes and being replaced by Ben Basso, who stood firm against Anders Rowe for the single point for third place, converting Steve Worrall's tapes to flag victory in an early lead for the Pirates. But the Monarchs instantly hit back with Drew Kemp setting the pace. Pirates' guest Connor Bailey was a little unfortunate to fall just when he was mounting a challenge on Jason Edwards for second spot but moments later Basso sensed an opening and took it enthusiastically to limit the damage of Poole having just one finisher. The Monarchs squared the scores with their own 4-2 and parity was maintained across the next four heats. Schlein winning from the off in heat three. A tough battled around the first turn ensued in heat four as Danny King and Richie Worrall went shoulder to shoulder, the Monarch just getting the better drive as they left the pits turn, Basso again filling the third spot. Steve Worrall was the outright winner of heat five, behind him Danyon Hume was in position but making mistakes as he tried to wrestle his machine. Eventually Kye Thomson saw an opportunity, took it and secured another heat share. King was solid in heat six as he whipped by Sam Masters in the early stages and remained defiant as the fourth consecutive 3-3 was chalked up at 18-18.

Schlein seriously locked up just outside the pits gate in heat seven and partner Ben Cook had no chance to avoid him, but had to take his part in the re-run as the lone Pirate, but things didn't go to plan as he then spun out himself on the third turn of the opening lap of that re-start. It looked a comfortable unchallenged ride for the rest of the distance for home boys Worrall, out front by some margin, and Kemp. But somehow Kemp didn't turn left coming out of turn two on lap two, rode into the airfence from whence both man and machine, in tact throughout, bounced off and control was regained. Was that going to be the the "turning point" of the meeting?

Well, no! Because Hume and Basso had the perfect response. An all-the-way 5-1 in heat eight to claw most of the deficit, all bar one point in fact, back. There was a real chance of even pulling that back in heat nine as King led and Bailey was holding third place for two full laps, but the Monarchs duo of Thomson and Josh Pickering mounted their challenges and shared heats were back on the cards. Heat ten took an age to complete. Both teams introduced changes. Kemp coming in for Rowe for Edinburgh and Basso getting the nod over Cook. Then there were questions being raised over Schlein's fitness after that heat seven fall. He refused any medical intervention and the paramedic was not convinced that all was as well as Schlein was saying. The referee took the view that if Rory was claiming he was able to ride then he should be allowed to and immediately Schlein made a great start along with Basso. Unfortunately, Masters went down at the first turn and the race was called back with all four eligible. Again the Pirates showed well from the traps but this time Kemp went down on the mid-point of the first arc. Red lights quickly on and a repeat announcement..all four back. Third time of asking Masters got the better run round the first turn so another shared heat was cheered home.

Heat eleven and there were positive signs for Poole. Hume led throughout for three laps and three turns but then Richie Worrall made the telling pass, so what would have been a lead-taking 4-2 ended in a share of the spoils for the seventh time. Schlein was clever in heat twelve, slowing the race sufficiently to help Basso's passage to the front and there it was. Poole's second 5-1 of the meeting, Basso involved in both and this one edged the Pirates ahead at 37-3. King then took heat thirteen by the horns whilst behind him the Worrall boys were battling things out, Masters having packed up. Richie prevailed but the Poole 4-2 meant at worse the Pirates would be one heat advantage adrift for the second leg. 

But the worse wasn't going to happen, the Pirates were resolute about that as Basso showed with a brilliant move in heat fourteen to go from last out of the tapes into a clear leader within half a lap. That ensured victory for the Pirates on the night and despite Masters finding his best form of the meeting to win heat fifteen that lead was assured as King and Steve Worrall were canny enough to keep out Richie.

EDINBURGH  42
Sam Masters 2,2,3,R,3 =10
Anders Rowe 0,1',0 =1+1
Kye Thomson 1',1',2,1 =5+2
Josh Pickering 2,2,1',2 =7+1
Richie Worrall 3,3,3,2,0 =11
Drew Kemp 3,2',1,0,XD,1' =7+2
Jason Edwards 1,0,0 =1

POOLE 47
Steven Worrall 3,3,1',1,1' =9+2
Danyon Hume XE,0,3,2 =5
Rory Schlein 3,XD,1',3 =7+1
Ben Cook 0,F,0 =0
Danny King 2,3,3,3,2 =13
Connor Bailey F,0,0 =0
Benjamin Basso 1,2,1',2',2,2',3 =13+3
.
Ht.1 S.Worrall,S.Masters,B.Basso,A.Rowe,D.Hume (exc.tapes),2-4 2-4 (55.8)
Ht.2 D.Kemp,B.Basso,J.Edwards,C.Bailey (fell),4-2 6-6 (57.2)
Ht.3 R.Schlein,J.Pickering,K.Thomson,B.Cook,3-3 9-9 (56.2)
Ht.4 R.Worrall,D.King,B.Basso,J.Edwards,3-3 12-12 (57)
Ht.5 S.Worrall,J.Pickering,K.Thomson,D.Hume,3-3 15-15 (57.5)
Ht.6 D.King,S.Masters,A.Rowe,C.Bailey,3-3 18-18 (57.1)
Ht.7 R.Worrall,D.Kemp,B.Cook (fell),R.Schlein (Disqualified),5-0 23-18 (59.5)
Ht.8 D.Hume,B.Basso,D.Kemp,A.Rowe,1-5 24-23 (59.3)
Ht.9 D.King,K.Thomson,J.Pickering,C.Bailey,3-3 27-26 (57.2)
Ht.10 S.Masters,B.Basso,R.Schlein,D.Kemp,3-3 30-29 (58)
Ht.11 R.Worrall,D.Hume,S.Worrall,J.Edwards,3-3 33-32 (59.7)
Ht.12 R.Schlein,B.Basso,K.Thomson,D.Kemp (Disqualified),1-5 34-37 (59.1)
Ht.13 D.King,R.Worrall,S.Worrall,S.Masters (rtd),2-4 36-41 (58.7)
Ht.14 B.Basso,J.Pickering,D.Kemp,B.Cook,3-3 39-44 (59.2)
Ht.15 S.Masters,D.King,S.Worrall,R.Worrall,3-3 42-47 (58.3)
SCB Referee: Jim McGregor
EDINBURGH  win toss and take gates 1&3 POOLE take gates 1&3 in heat 15
Rider of the Night: Benjamin Basso