REPORT: Poole Pirates v Edinburgh Monarchs

20/08/23

Missing their number one, Craig Cook, the Edinburgh Monarchs found things tough throughout this late Sunday afternoon meeting, in which the Pirates gave their overall race points differential a significant boost, registering nine heat advantages and providing twelve race winners, opening with a victory for Richard Lawson in an all four call back after Michele Castagna had fallen at the first attempt of heat one.

Joe Thompson, back as a NL guest and on the periphery of becoming a fully-fledged Pirate went from third to second off the second turn in heat two to support Anders Rowe's victory before Ben and Zach Cook combined for a 5-1 over Kye Thomson and track debutant Bastian Borke in heat three. Josh Pickering hunted Steve Worrall down in heat four and on the final lap the Monarch's number five swept by his counterpart, to share the heat and arrest Poole's steady build-up of points.

It was a fall for Ben Cook that prevented another heat advantage, going too wide into turns three and four and not being able to stay aboard. There was a shade of controversy in heat six when referee Wayne Jarvis disqualified Pickering as the cause of Kyle Newman falling and in the re-run Lawson was happy to hand the win to Newman as Poole went into a 25-11 lead. Borke tried to push the pack out in heat seven but the start was recalled and the second attempt saw Thomson round Worrall at the pit turn for a share of the spoils. Monarch reserve Max Clegg passed his equal number Thompson in heat eight but it was another fine win for Rowe as Poole marched on. Heat nine didn’t go the full distance as Dayle Wood fell on the final lap and the race awarded with Pickering leading Ben and Zach Cook.

After some track work, essentially to try and reduce the dust clouds and smooth out some of the deep stuff, the meeting resumed with Poole registering another Lawson/Newman maximum and another 5-1 quickly followed as Rowe moved through the traffic from fourth to second to partner Worrall in heat eleven. A tactical substitute outing for Pickering yielded just a shared heat as Cook led home Thomson and Pickering (the rider brought in). Doing two on the trot, in heat thirteen, Pickering had a right royal battle with Lawson as they traded second and third places whilst Worrall was taking the winner. Zach Cook could consider himself unfortunate in heat fourteen as he was impeded by Borke as he was about to make the pass coming off the pit turn on the opening lap. Zach dropped to fourth but recovered somewhat to then pass Clegg for a third place to add to Rowe's third unbeaten ride of the night.

Heat fifteen had the unbeaten Lawson going off the inside but a shed chain on the line ruined his maximum and Edinburgh took advantage for their one and only heat advantage.
POOLE 59
Richard Lawson 3,2',3,2',R=10+2 (5)
Kyle Newman 1,3,3,2'=9+1 (4)
Ben Cook 3,F,2,3=8 (4)
Zach Cook 2',3,1',1=7+2 (4)
Steve Worrall 2,2,3,3,2=12 (5)
Anders Rowe 3,1',2',3=9+2 (4)
Joe Thompson 2',1',1,0=4+2 (4)
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EDINBURGH 31
Rider Replacement
Michele Castagna 2,2,FD,1,0=5 (5)
Kye Thomson 1,1',3,1,2,1=9+1 (6)
Bastian Borke 0,0,0,0,2=2 (5)
Josh Pickering 0,3,XD,3,1',1,3=11+1 (7)
Dayle Wood 0,1,FD,TS=1 (3)
Max Clegg 1,0,2,0=3 (4)
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Ht 1: R.Lawson, M.Castagna , K.Newman, J.Pickering 4-2 4-2 [58.72]
Ht 2: A.Rowe, J.Thompson, M.Clegg, D.Wood 5-1 9-3 [59.43]
Ht 3: B.Cook, Z.Cook, K.Thomson , B.Borke 5-1 14-4 [58.93]
Ht 4: J.Pickering , S.Worrall, J.Thompson, M.Clegg 3-3 17-7 [59.53]
Ht 5: Z.Cook, M.Castagna , K.Thomson , B.Cook [fell] 3-3 20-10 [59.13]
Ht 6: K.Newman, R.Lawson, D.Wood, J.Pickering [exc] 5-1 25-11 [61.75]
Ht 7: K.Thomson , S.Worrall, A.Rowe, B.Borke 3-3 28-14 [59.81]
Ht 8: K.Newman, M.Clegg, J.Thompson, M.Castagna [fell exc] 4-2 32-16 [61.03]
Ht 9: J.Pickering , B.Cook, Z.Cook, D.Wood [fell exc] 3-3 35-19 [Awd]
Ht 10: R.Lawson, K.Newman, K.Thomson , B.Borke 5-1 40-20 [59 57]
Ht 11: S.Worrall, A.Rowe, M.Castagna , B.Borke 5-1 45-21 [61.03]
Ht 12: B.Cook, K.Thomson , J.Pickering , J.Thompson, D.Wood [Tac Subbed] 3-3 48-24 [59.5]
Ht 13: S.Worrall, R.Lawson, J.Pickering , M.Castagna 5-1 53-25 [60.59]
Ht 14: A.Rowe, B.Borke, Z.Cook, M.Clegg 4-2 57-27 [61.57]
Ht 15: J.Pickering , S.Worrall, K.Thomson , R.Lawson [rtd] 2-4 59-31 [58.63]