REPORT: Glasgow Tigers v Poole Pirates

30/07/23

Poole had an early chance of getting off to a perfect start when both Anders Rowe and Richard Lawson launched themselves out of the tapes very effectively in heat one, but behind them Chris Harris was running out of first turn track and went down, an incident that necessitated a re-start with all four riders eligible. Harris took full advantage and swarmed by Rowe whilst Lawson found himself at the back and endured a rare last place. 

Kyle Newman was an impressive winner over the Tigers two guest reserves, Connor Coles and Sam Hagon, but neither of those were placed under any pressure by Adam Roynon who only lasted two and three quarter circuits before pulling up. Heat three was a Danish versus Aussie affair and Ben Basso was too eager to make a start and picked up a warning, with the start called back. Claus Vissing made the best escape in the re-run and watched his partner storm round the outside. Vissing then had to concentrate on what Ben Cook was up to behind him and realised he had no room for any error as little Ben was there ready to pounce. The resulting 5-1 to the Tigers placed them six up and the last thing Poole needed was one rider packing up at the start (Roynon) and the other missing the gate totally (Worrall) , which made shock winner Sam Hagon's ride home that much easier as he had Tom Brennan playing shepherd behind him.

Lawson put his opening last place firmly behind him and used the outside extremely well to find a line that took him by Basso in heat five Anders Rowe had dropped a position when Vissing passed him but Rowe fought back well and deservedly regained third place, converting Lawson's victory into Poole's first heat advantage. Heat six consisted of two races in one, certainly over the opening two laps, with the battle for first and second, between Worrall and Harris going the full distance, the Poole skipper just getting his wheel across the line marginally ahead of the Tigers'  number one. Introducing Lawson as a tactical substitute set the Pirates up for their second heat advantage, and this was an even better one than the first as he supported Ben Cook's tapes-to-flag winning ride to perfection, bringing the margin back to a four point deficit.

Pirates Newman and Rowe were stone last heading into turn two of heat eight but they both came out of it squeezing up on leader Marcin Nowak. Doggedly, the Pole stood firm but it was no easy win for him, one though that maintained the Tigers lead. 

Worrall was tracking Vissing for three laps but had also to be mindful of the presence of Basso in heat nine and it proved just too much for Worrall as Basso saw an opportunity and chose the perfect line to take up the initiative and lead Glasgow in another 5-1.  Harris was the comfortable heat ten winner, the real hard work being done by Ben Cook as he worked a route by Nowak to mitigate the damage, but it didn’t stop the Tigers resurrecting that earlier ten point lead. 

Brennan was out of shape around the first arc of heat eleven and took what appeared to be a painful fall, also earning himself a disqualification, and that made things much easier for Lawson and Rowe in the re-start, Lawson even shutting off early to allow Rowe to cross the line first. Basso though ensured that any comeback from the Pirates would be put on hold, for a heat at least as he claimed a tapes to flag win in heat twelve, but then a great race culminating in a blanket finish in heat thirteen went Poole's way as Worrall and Lawson managed to stave off Harris' grit and determination for a 5-1 that rendered the scores 40-38 in Glasgow's favour.

Fielding two riders who hadn't previously scored, the Pirates did, according to the form book at least, look vulnerable but Zach Cook stood up to the task, made a superb start and held off the niggles from Vissing, although for the third time Roynon failed to complete four laps. But the shared heat kept all result options open and you couldn't have asked for a better race to close the meeting out. Very little in it, with Basso and Lawson trading places for fun, the current Pirate holding out at the vital time although for some reason it was a race win that didn't sit too well for the partisan Scottish fans. Harris managed to hold out Worrall to give Glasgow the meeting win, but in terms of chasing the aggregate bonus point the Pirates would appear to be the hot favourites.

GLASGOW 46
Chris Harris 3,2,3,1,1'=10+1 (5)
Marcin Nowak 1,1',3,1=6+1 (4)
Benjamin Basso 3,2,3,3,2=13 (5)
Claus Vissing 2',0,2',2=6+2 (4)
Tom Brennan 2',1,FD,0=3+1 (4)
Connor Coles 2,0,1,RS=3 (3)
Sam Hagon 1',3,0,0,1'=5+2 (5)
.
POOLE 44
Richard Lawson 0,3,2',2',2',3=12+3 (6)
Anders Rowe 2,1,1',3=7+1 (4)
Ben Cook 1,3,2,1'=7+1 (4)
Zach Cook 0,TS,0,3=3 (3)
Steve Worrall 1,3,1,3,0=8 (5)
Kyle Newman 3,0,2,0,2=7 (5)
Adam Roynon R,R,RS,R=0 (3)
.
Ht 1:  C.Harris, A.Rowe, M.Nowak, R.Lawson 4-2 4-2 [55.66]
Ht 2:  K.Newman, C.Coles, S.Hagon, A.Roynon [rtd] 3-3 7-5 [57.55]
Ht 3:  B.Basso, C.Vissing, B.Cook, Z.Cook 5-1 12-6 [56.18]
Ht 4:  S.Hagon, T.Brennan, S.Worrall, A.Roynon [rtd] 5-1 17-7 [56.89]
Ht 5:  R.Lawson, B.Basso, A.Rowe, C.Vissing 2-4 19-11 [56.52]
Ht 6:  S.Worrall, C.Harris, M.Nowak, K.Newman 3-3 22-14 [56.74]
Ht 7:  B.Cook, R.Lawson, T.Brennan, C.Coles, Z.Cook [Tac Subbed] 1-5 23-19 [57.47]
Ht 8:  M.Nowak, K.Newman, A.Rowe, S.Hagon 3-3 26-22 [57.51]
Ht 9:  B.Basso, C.Vissing, S.Worrall, K.Newman 5-1 31-23 [57.84]
Ht 10:  C.Harris, B.Cook, M.Nowak, Z.Cook 4-2 35-25 [57.58]
Ht 11:  A.Rowe, R.Lawson, C.Coles, T.Brennan [fell exc] 1-5 36-30 [59.14]
Ht 12:  B.Basso, K.Newman, B.Cook, S.Hagon 3-3 39-33 [58.16]
Ht 13:  S.Worrall, R.Lawson, C.Harris, T.Brennan 1-5 40-38 [58.23]
Ht 14:  Z.Cook, C.Vissing, S.Hagon, A.Roynon [rtd] 3-3 43-41 [58.25]
Ht 15:  R.Lawson, B.Basso, C.Harris, S.Worrall 3-3 46-44 []

SGB Referee: Mr Michael Breckon 
POOLE won toss and chose gates 1&3 | GLASGOW choose gates 2&4 in heat 15  
League Points: GLASGOW 2 POOLE 0

Picture Ian Adam

 

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