Leicester Lions v Poole Pirates

16/04/22

Poole took their Easter league points tally to four points after picking up a consolation point at Leicester, a team that has registered three home scores this season of 60 points or more.

Poole manager Neil Middleditch warned that the Pirates would find things tough againt the wounded Lions, who had suffered a previous night twenty point defeat at Scunthorpe and he was proved right as Leicester refused to allow Poole to ever get on top. Although Steve Worrall inflicted an opening ride defeat on Nick Morris the heat was shared as Zach Cook began a run of three no scores from his three rides. Lions' reseres Anders Rowe and Joe Thompson fired home a 5-1 in heat two and then Kyle Howarth made an excellent pass on Richard Lawson in heat three to share the points. Skipper Danny King was fortunate to escape serious injury as he was brought down at the pits turn by Richie Worrall, the Leicester rider having to sit out the re-run as the cause of the crash. King won comprehensively but partner Ablitt limped home for the point to reduce the deficit to just two points.
Howarth got away fast in heat five and try as he did, Steve Worrall couldn't get near enough to make a concerted challenge, so with Dan Thompson clear of Zach Cook Leicester restored their four point lead (17-13). Both of Poole's "DK's" were beaten up around the first bend by Morris and Connor Mountain, and whilst King was able to ease his way back into second Kemp's hopes looked forlorn until Mountain packed up, allowing the Pirates to share the spoils. Lawson defended well under heat seven pressure from R.Worrall but B.Cook couldn't hold off Anders Rowe. Kemp was called up in favour of Ablitt, an inspired move by the sage that is Middleditch, as the Poole rider took the honours, although had no back up whatsoever from Z.Cook. Howarth produced an awesome path to deny King and Kemp a big return, then Lawson put in a resilient ride under interest form Morris as yet another drawn heat was clocked up. A sixth successive shared heat followed in heat eleven as Richie won the battle of the brothers but Kemp held firm against Rowe. The sequence was broken, when Lawson gave a super ride to end Howarth's unbeaten run and Kemp beat Joe Thompson to give Poole a 4-2, reducing the deficit to just two once more.
King won heat thirteen but the Lions filled the minor places and it was a similar outcome in heat fourteen when Kemp, taking his seventh ride of the night, claimed the win. That left the Pirates assured of a league point, provided they had a heat fifteen finisher, but victory was still within their reach too, needing a 5-1 to do so. King again hit the deck in a battle with Richie Worrall, this time King adjudged the cause so it was all down to Lawson to finish in the re-run to secure that consolation.

LEICESTER 48
N.Morris,2,3,2,1'=8+1 (4)
C.Mountain,1',R,1',1'=3+3 (4)
K.Howarth,3,3,3,2,2'=13+1 (5)
D.Thompson,F,1,0,2=3 (4)
R.Worrall,XD,2,3,2,3=10 (5)
A.Rowe,3,1',0,1'=5+2 (4)
J.Thompson,2',2,2,0=6+1 (4)
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POOLE 42
S.Worrall,3,2,2,0=7 (4)
Z.Cook,0,0,0,NS=0 (3)
R.Lawson,2,3,3,3,1=12 (5)
B.Cook,1',0,0,NS=1+1 (3)
D.King,3,2,1',3,XD=9+1 (5)
D.Kemp,1,1',3,2,1',1,3=12+2 (7)
N.Ablitt,0,1,NS,0=1 (3)
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Ht 1:  S.Worrall, N.Morris, C.Mountain, Z.Cook 3-3 3-3 [61.72]
Ht 2:  A.Rowe, J.Thompson, D.Kemp, N.Ablitt 5-1 8-4 [61.56]
Ht 3:  K.Howarth, R.Lawson, B.Cook, D.Thompson [fell] 3-3 11-7 [61.28]
Ht 4:  D.King, J.Thompson, N.Ablitt, R.Worrall[exc] 2-4 13-11 [61.78]
Ht 5:  K.Howarth, S.Worrall, D.Thompson, Z.Cook 4-2 17-13 [61.31]
Ht 6:  N.Morris, D.King, D.Kemp, C.Mountain [rtd] 3-3 20-16 [61.31]
Ht 7:  R.Lawson, R.Worrall, A.Rowe, B.Cook 3-3 23-19 [62.1]
Ht 8:  D.Kemp, J.Thompson, C.Mountain, Z.Cook, N.Ablitt [NS] 3-3 26-22 [61.9]
Ht 9:  K.Howarth, D.Kemp, D.King, D.Thompson 3-3 29-25 [62.09]
Ht 10:  R.Lawson, N.Morris, C.Mountain, B.Cook 3-3 32-28 [62.62]
Ht 11:  R.Worrall, S.Worrall, D.Kemp, A.Rowe, Z.Cook [NS] 3-3 35-31 [62.03]
Ht 12:  R.Lawson, K.Howarth, D.Kemp, J.Thompson 2-4 37-35 [61.97]
Ht 13:  D.King, R.Worrall, N.Morris, S.Worrall 3-3 40-38 [61.75]
Ht 14:  D.Kemp, D.Thompson, A.Rowe, N.Ablitt, B.Cook [NS] 3-3 43-41 [62.44]
Ht 15:  R.Worrall, K.Howarth, R.Lawson, D.King[exc] 5-1 48-42 [61.84]
REFEREE: Craig Ackroyd 
LEICESTER won toss and chose gates 1&3 | POOLE choose gates 1&3 in heat 15  
League Points: LEICESTER 3 POOLE 1