Report: Edinburgh Monarchs v Poole Pirates

6/09/23

After their first attempt to get this fixture completed was abandoned with the Pirates set to go 26-10 up, this third attempt began a lot tighter for the Dorset side against a much changed Scottish outfit.

The opening heat was pulled back when Richard Lawson was squeezed out approaching the entrance to turn two whilst Anders Rowe led and in the re-run it was rider replacement Josh Pickering who made all the running as the Poole boys comfortably shared the heat. Two good starts from the Poole reserves saw them, Joe Thompson and Kyle Newman, pull further and further away lap on lap after some initial interest from guest Jacob Hook, but that advantage was overturned in heat three when Michele 'Paco' Castagna and Kye Thomson refused to allow the battling Ben Cook any opening. Steve Worrall did well to pick off Pickering who had needed to find a way by Thompson on the first arc, Poole moving back into the lead, albeit by a narrower two points. A good start off gate four by Lawson set him up perfectly for an untroubled first win of the night as he held off the 'maxi-men' of heat three.

Kyle Newman produced an excellent battling effort as he worked his way through to second and hold on to position whilst Worrall led. Zach Cook showed some good speed as he went in pursuit of Pickering but the Monarchs' big-hitter had too much of an advantage to be affected by the effort. A big result for Poole came in heat eight with Thompson tucked in behind Anders Rowe to give the Pirates a second maximum in three heats and then Worrall and Newman, the latter with another great demonstration of speedway racing, delivering a hammer blow with Poole's third 5-1 in the space of four heats and that ensured the bonus point was heading south. In itself not enough to put sufficient pressure on Oxford and so there could be not let up in the Pirate camp, although only second places were needed from this stage forward.

Edinburgh introduced Pickering as a tactical substitute and whilst he delivered the goods, Ben Cook was able to split him for Thomson and there was the first of those second places, whilst Zach was working hard again, keeping Thomson readily in his sights, although never quite able to land a blow. Lawson produced a great ride under mounting pressure from Pickering and with Rowe in an unchallenged third place the Pirates had closed in massively on that forty-six point target. It was mission accomplished as Ben Cook led heat twelve and Newman once again showed his skills by picking his moments to move through the traffic and make it four starts four paid wins! Without any pressure Lawson stormed to a heat thirteen victory in sub-fifty eight seconds, the fifth heat of the night to go under that time barrier and the first in seven. The perfect night for Poole was denied when Zach Cook suffered an awkward and painful fall entering turn three and inadvertently bringing Hook down. The heat was re-run without the Poole number four but in his absence Thompson made a far better start and closed in on Castagna. Completing his fourth win from five starts, Richard Lawson (who will be guesting for the Monarchs in their crucial double header just forty eight hours on) was victorious again over Pickering and with Worrall tucked in third place the Pirates made it a clear twenty point winning margin, but crucially all available league points (3) which soared them back to the top of the table where they would remain if Glasgow were to beat Oxford on frantic Friday.

Edinburgh 35
Rider Replacement
Lasse Fredriksen 0,1,0,TS=1 (3)
Kye Thomson 3,2,0,1,1=7 (5)
Michele Castagna 2',1',0,1,3,0=7+2 (6)
Josh Pickering 3,2,3,3,2,2,2=17 (7)
Mason Watson 0,0,F,RS=0 (3)
Jacob Hook 1,0,1,F,0,1=3 (6)
.
POOLE 55
Richard Lawson 1',3,3,3,3=13+1 (5)
Anders Rowe 2,0,3,1=6 (4)
Ben Cook 1,1',2,3=7+1 (4)
Zach Cook 0,2,0,FD=2 (4)
Steve Worrall 3,3,3,1,1=11 (5)
Kyle Newman 2',2',2',2'=8+4 (4)
Joe Thompson 3,1,2',2=8+1 (4)
.
Ht 1: J.Pickering, A.Rowe, R.Lawson, L.Fredriksen 3-3 3-3 [55.9]
Ht 2: J.Thompson, K.Newman, J.Hook, M.Watson 1-5 4-8 [58.8]
Ht 3: K.Thomson, M.Castagna, B.Cook, Z.Cook 5-1 9-9 [57.2]
Ht 4: S.Worrall, J.Pickering, J.Thompson, J.Hook 2-4 11-13 [57.1]
Ht 5: R.Lawson, K.Thomson, M.Castagna, A.Rowe 3-3 14-16 [57.4]
Ht 6: S.Worrall, K.Newman, L.Fredriksen, M.Castagna 1-5 15-21 [58.4]
Ht 7: J.Pickering, Z.Cook, B.Cook, M.Watson 3-3 18-24 [58.4]
Ht 8: A.Rowe, J.Thompson, J.Hook, L.Fredriksen 1-5 19-29 [58.9]
Ht 9: S.Worrall, K.Newman, M.Castagna, K.Thomson 1-5 20-34 [58.3]
Ht 10: J.Pickering, B.Cook, K.Thomson, Z.Cook, L.Fredriksen 4-2 24-36 [58.2]
Ht 11: R.Lawson, J.Pickering, A.Rowe, M.Watson [fell] 2-4 26-40 [58.2]
Ht 12: B.Cook, K.Newman, K.Thomson, J.Hook [fell] 1-5 27-45 [58.8]
Ht 13: R.Lawson, J.Pickering, S.Worrall, J.Hook 2-4 29-49 [57.7]
Ht 14: M.Castagna, J.Thompson, J.Hook, Z.Cook [fell exc] 4-2 33-51 [59.3]
Ht 15: R.Lawson, J.Pickering, S.Worrall, M.Castagna 2-4 35-55 [58.5]

SCB Referee Mr Willie Dishington
POOLE won toss and chose gates 1&3 | Edinburgh choose gates 2&4 in heat 15
League Points: Edinburgh 0 POOLE 3