RESULT: Leicester v Poole KOC Semi Final 1st Leg

Poole have put themselves in a strong position in this semi-final tie after recovering from a six-point deficit to be just two points adrift of Leicester ahead of the second leg which follows on Wednesday 21st September at Wimborne Road.

Leicester 46
Nick Morris,2,3,3,FD=8 (4)
Dan Thompson,1',1,3,1=6+1 (4)
Richie Worrall,1,3,3,2,3=12 (5)
Connor Mountain,0,0,1,1=2 (4)
Kyle Howarth,1',3,2,3,0=9+1 (5)
Joe Thompson,2,2',0,RS=4+1 (3)
Max Clegg,1',2,1,1',0=5+2 (5)
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Poole 44
Danny King,3,2,3,2,2=12 (5)
Ben Cook,0,1',2,1=4+1 (4)
Steve Worrall,3,0,2,3,1'=9+1 (5)
Drew Kemp,2',1,0,3=6+1 (4)
Richard Lawson,3,2,2,1'=8+1 (4)
Zach Cook,3,0,FD,RS,0,2'=5+1 (5)
Nathan Ablitt,F,0,RS,0,RS=0 (3)
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Ht 1: D.King, N.Morris, D.Thompson, B.Cook 3-3 3-3 [59.94]
Ht 2: Z.Cook, J.Thompson, M.Clegg, N.Ablitt [fell] 3-3 6-6 [62.44]
Ht 3: S.Worrall, D.Kemp, R.Worrall, C.Mountain 1-5 7-11 [60.25]
Ht 4: R.Lawson, M.Clegg, K.Howarth, N.Ablitt 3-3 10-14 [60.64]
Ht 5: R.Worrall, D.King, B.Cook, C.Mountain 3-3 13-17 [59.87]
Ht 6: N.Morris, R.Lawson, D.Thompson, Z.Cook 4-2 17-19 [60.25]
Ht 7: K.Howarth, J.Thompson, D.Kemp, S.Worrall 5-1 22-20 [60.88]
Ht 8: D.Thompson, B.Cook, M.Clegg, Z.Cook [fell exc] 4-2 26-22 [AWD]
Ht 9: R.Worrall, R.Lawson, C.Mountain, N.Ablitt 4-2 30-24 [60.06]
Ht 10: N.Morris, S.Worrall, D.Thompson, D.Kemp 4-2 34-26 [60.25]
Ht 11: D.King, K.Howarth, B.Cook, J.Thompson 2-4 36-30 [60.38]
Ht 12: S.Worrall, R.Worrall, M.Clegg, Z.Cook 3-3 39-33 [60]
Ht 13: K.Howarth, D.King, R.Lawson, N.Morris [fell exc] 3-3 42-36 [60.87]
Ht 14: D.Kemp, Z.Cook, C.Mountain, M.Clegg 1-5 43-41 [61.19]
Ht 15: R.Worrall, D.King, S.Worrall, K.Howarth 3-3 46-44 [60.06]
REFEREE: Dave Watters
Poole won toss and chose gates 1&3 | Leicester choose gates 1&3 in heat 15

The Pirates made a solid start to this meeting, out-trapping the Lions with striking regularity over the first batch of heats, the Lions unable to buy a start and whilst Poole held a four point lead after five heats it might well have been even greater. 

For in heat two Nathan Ablitt had led, with Zach Cook following in his roost, for three and three quarter laps before cruelly spinning out and handing Joe Thompson the second place he had been working hard for, as Zach went on to take the flag.

Ablitt was again catching the eye in heat four as, in third place, he worked hard to hold off Kyle Howarth for two laps. 
Richie Worrall was the first Lion to win a heat, but that victory was only established after he defied every move that Danny King was attempting and the fact that Worrall had the speed to record the fastest time of the night, quicker than King's opening time of 59.84 by 0.07 seconds. 

Poole conceded their first heat immediately after the first track grade, Nick Morris and Dan Thompson finishing either side of Richard Lawson whilst Zach Cook struggled at the rear. A second Poole start warning fell the way of Steve Worrall (Lawson having been warned in heat four) and in the re-start Worrall couldn't quite get across Howarth in the run to the first turn and then ran too wide at the pit turn, a move that relegated him to the back, a position from which he couldn't recover and one that was further frustrated from a Poole perspective as Drew Kemp was passed by Joe Thompson allowing the Lions to move ahead in the meeting, 22-20.

A reserve switch had Zach Cook replacing Ablitt in heat eight but he got the attack of the fourth turn all wrong and became caught in the dense sticky stuff, falling awkwardly, brother Ben able though to split  Dan Thompson (winner) and Max Clegg to minimise the damage. Lawson tried hard but without fortune to get clear of Richie Worrall in heat nine and consequently the home side added another two points to their lead and that was a similar fate when Kemp was passed easily by Dan Thompson in heat ten, meaning Poole went into the break eight points down at 34-26.

Taking advantage of a re-grouping during the break and with r six heats without a Poole winner, King duly delivered. Behind him Ben Cook eventually lost out in an intense battle with Howarth, but the heat advantage could not have been more timely. A splendid pass by Steve Worrall on his brother in heat twelve was undermined when Zach Cook lost his scoring position to Clegg. Two excellent moves in heat thirteen by King and Lawson drove them past Morris down the back straight and a Poole 5-1 looked a distinct possibility, but half a lap later Morris made a huge error and was thrown from his machine in the approach to completing the first lap. The re-run saw a much improved start by Howarth but he still conceded ground to King and whilst Lawson tried he couldn't find any opening to restore that big advantage the Pirates had been seeking. Howarth used every part of the track and tried every move he had in his repertoire but it still looked as if King would hold for the win, but Howarth was simply sensational and moved alongside as the flag beckoned, taking the verdict, sharing the heat and retaining the Lions' six point lead, meaning this first leg still had chances of going either way.

A solid and resilient ride from Zach Cook to hold on to second place behind partner Kemp was a game changer as it immediately prevented the Lions from having the hopes of a double figure points lead that they had been looking for and it also kept the door open for a potential Poole victory. Richie Worrall put paid to that outcome however but King and Steve Worrall stood firm and kept Howarth at bay this time for a shared heat to take the tie into 'half-time' with only two points, in Leicester's favour, separating the two sides. 

Photo: Steve Dixon