REPORT: Poole Pirates v Scunthorpe Scorpions

Pulling themselves back into meetings at Wimborne Road is beginning to become a trend for the Wessex Marine Pirates and this comeback was tougher than most as the six man Scorpions, missing Michael Palm-Toft had number one Ryan Douglas in superb form.

His pacy time to win heat one after Steve Worrall had attempted to apply an early challenge, was a sign of things to come as none of the Pirates could hold a candle to the 'Flying Ryan'. In that opener, Anders Rowe lost out under pressure from rider replacement Simon Lambert and Poole were behind, but only for a heat as Kyle Newman made a strong gate to take a tapes to flag victory. Adam Roynon gave chase on Connor Mountain but he was facing an immovable object and had to settle for a match levelling third place. Ben Cook was a first turn faller but he quickly remounted, allowing heat three to continue, and as it unfolded, his brother Zach produced an excellent ride, first scrapping with Max Clegg before going on to come very close to reeling in runaway leader Lambert. So behind again, the Pirates then had to deal with machine problems for Roynon, but guest (in for Richard Lawson) Justin Sedgmen was quick to fend off Mountain before going on to deliver a convincing win. In heat five, Ben Cook tried briefly to hold off Douglas as they hit the back straight without too much space between them, but Douglas had the outside run to establish win number two. 

Worrall left the outside line open down the back straight on the opening lap of heat six and Jake Allen needed no second invitation as Scunthorpe celebrated their fourth race winner and the third successive shared heat was chalked up. Sedgmen was away and gone in heat seven to earn his second win but missing the great action behind him as Newman threw everything he could muster in an attempt to get by Lambert, but the Pirates had to settle for levelling the scores up at 21 a-piece. As expected, Douglas was called upon for the heat eight rider replacement outing and his third win was a mere formality. Rowe, to his credit did well to force his way by Mountain to limit the damage as Newman couldn't replicate the same sort of power he had shown in the previous heat. 

Ben Cook dug deep in heat nine in his pursuit of Allen but the task was just too great and, with Zach, had to be content with sharing the heat. Simon Lambert suffered an untimely wheel lift in heat ten on the fourth turn of lap one, and that effectively cost him dearly as Rowe, out in front, was joined by the hard pressing Worrall, and whilst Lambert recovered well he couldn't find any way by Worrall's back wheel, so, for the first time in the meeting Poole held a lead, 31-29. Douglas was again out in front making hay but a strong heat eleven performance from third place Sedgmen foiled Allen allowing Poole to head into the break with that narrow lead.

When racing resumed it was a runaway win for Ben Cook, but the real hero was Roynon who managed to successfully see off the intense pressure from Mountain, giving the Pirates a six point advantage. Splitting Douglas and Allen in heat thirteen, Worrall had to do so by passing Allen, the Scunthorpe rider then having to be fully focussed on the efforts of Sedgmen who was doing all he could to pick up a score. Zach Cook and Kyle Newman were able to get the Pirates 'over-the-line' with a 5-1 in heat fourteen and the Poole pair of Ben and Worrall were content for the shared heat as Douglas completed his perfect six ride maximum.

Heat Details

POOLE 49
Steve Worrall 2,2,2',2,1'=9+2 (5)
Anders Rowe 0,1',2,3=6+1 (4)
Ben Cook 0,2,2,3,2=9 (5)
Zach Cook 2,1',1',3=7+2 (4)
Justin Sedgmen 3,3,1',0=7+1 (4)
Kyle Newman 3,1,0,2,2'=8+1 (5)
Adam Roynon 1,R,RS,2'=3+1 (3)
.
SCUNTHORPE 41
Ryan Douglas 3,3,3,3,3,3=18 (6)
Rider Replacement
Simon Lambert 1,3,2,1,0=7 (5)
Max Clegg 1,0,0,1=2 (4)
Jake Allen 1',3,3,0,1,0=8+1 (6)
Nathan Ablitt 0,0,0,RS=0 (3)
Connor Mountain 2,2,0,1,1,0=6 (6)
.
Ht 1:  R.Douglas, S.Worrall, S.Lambert, A.Rowe 2-4 2-4 [58.53]
Ht 2:  K.Newman, C.Mountain, A.Roynon, N.Ablitt 4-2 6-6 [60.16]
Ht 3:  S.Lambert, Z.Cook, M.Clegg, B.Cook 2-4 8-10 [60.62]
Ht 4:  J.Sedgmen, C.Mountain, J.Allen, A.Roynon [rtd] 3-3 11-13 [60.38]
Ht 5:  R.Douglas, B.Cook, Z.Cook, C.Mountain 3-3 14-16 [59.63]
Ht 6:  J.Allen, S.Worrall, A.Rowe, N.Ablitt 3-3 17-19 [60.78]
Ht 7:  J.Sedgmen, S.Lambert, K.Newman, M.Clegg 4-2 21-21 [60.59]
Ht 8:  R.Douglas, A.Rowe, C.Mountain, K.Newman 2-4 23-25 [59.59]
Ht 9:  J.Allen, B.Cook, Z.Cook, N.Ablitt 3-3 26-28 [60.28]
Ht 10:  A.Rowe, S.Worrall, S.Lambert, M.Clegg 5-1 31-29 [61.72]
Ht 11:  R.Douglas, K.Newman, J.Sedgmen, J.Allen 3-3 34-32 [60.04]
Ht 12:  B.Cook, A.Roynon, C.Mountain, S.Lambert 5-1 39-33 [60,54]
Ht 13:  R.Douglas, S.Worrall, J.Allen, J.Sedgmen 2-4 41-37 [60.56]
Ht 14:  Z.Cook, K.Newman, M.Clegg, C.Mountain 5-1 46-38 [61.03]
Ht 15:  R.Douglas, B.Cook, S.Worrall, J.Allen 3-3 49-41 []

SCB Referee: Christina Turnbull & Gary Allan (trainee) 
SCUNTHORPE won toss and chose gates 2&4 | POOLE choose gates 1&3 in heat 15  
League Points: POOLE 2 SCUNTHORPE 0
 

Pictures Anthony Burchall and Tony Hartmann