REPORT: Poole v Plymouth - BSN

Pirates hit another big score at Wimborne Road witha  58-32 victory over Plymouth in the BSN Southern Group to put themselves in the driving seat for qualifying

Early evidence that the Plymouth Gladiators were to put up some resistance in this penultimate fixture of the BSN Southern Group was largely dissipated in heat five when, with the scores level at 12 a piece the Pirates fired in a 5-1, assisted by a second retirement on the night of the the Gladiators number one debutant Nico Covatti.

Having missed the early weeks of the season due to an injury sustained in the Argentinian Championship, Covatti, a former Pirate was keen to take his place in the Plymouth side but there were signs in the opening heat that all was not well as he struggled round at the back whilst team-mate Alfie Bowtell was splitting Rocketman Richard Lawson and the every trying Tobias Thomsen.

After the visiting reserves had stunned the lower than anticipated Friday night crowd in heat two with a lead-taking 1-5 from a fast-looking Jacob Hook and 2023 Poole reserve Joe Thompson, there was an understable
heightening of the nerves, although Tom Brennan and Zach Cook squared the scores with a 4-2, finishing either side of the in-form Thompson twin, Dan. The scores stayed equal when Ben Cook recorded a tapes to flag victory in heat four. Brother Zach then sparked the turning point. He made a great move on Covatti, who having already been checked over by the medical team, bravely took his place in heat five and had made a good run to the first turn. But he couldn't find any response to Zach who was heading off into the distance to join Brennan for a 5-1, from which the Pirates never looked back. Opportunities to immediately extend that advantage were thwarted when Ben Barker defied Tobias Thomsen any route through in heat six, despite the incessant efforts from the Dane, all the while Lawson was putting further distance between himself and his race mates.

Heat seven had plenty of action, commencing with a great move from reserve Sam Hagon to blast round Dan Thompson to join Ben Cook, the skipper then content to settle behind his number six. But Thompson had other ideas and was ruthless on Cook on turn four, the Poole skipper reacting swiftly to having been bumped off course and doing exceptionally well to stay intact with his machine as the fence approached. It cost Ben plenty of ground but when Kyle Newman pulled up on the final lap he was able to earn a point and in the process extend Poole's lead to six. Doing two-on-the-trot as a stand-in for Max Perry, Hagon picked up a second victory, this time from the tapes, content for Thomsen to pick up the praise for his passing efforts as he cleverly switched lines on the first turn to sweep under both Hook and Bowtell.

Barker became only the second Gladiator to celebrate the checkered flag, nipping out the start sharply and making good ground whilst the Pirate pair of Brennan and Zach Cook were sorting out their lines, but still holding a double figure advantage (32-22) there didn't appear too much concern in the Poole camp. Certainly not from Lawson who delivered another ride of steel to see off Barker who was this time riding as a tactical substitute and Dan Thompson. Barker had little response to Thomsen took and Poole extended the lead to twelve. Wanting to outdo Hagon who earlier had been involved in two consecutive heats, Barker then did three on the trot by taking the IRR ride made vacant by Covatti's withdrawal, but the might of Ben Cook and Hagon was far too great and they celebrated Poole's seventh heat advantage in eleven heats.

Once Brennan hit the front at the first turn of heat twelve, Plymouth's hopes of trying to reduce the deficit were well dashed as the Thompson twins couldn't get near to him. There was some excellent speedway dished up in heat thirteen as Lawson and Barker went hammer and tongs with each other early one before Lawson stamped his authority on the race. Not wanting to be outdone, Ben Cook went in search of his opposing captain and delighted the crowd with a super move to push the Pirates into a twenty point lead. Kyle Newman's luckless return to Wimborne Road continued in heat fourteen and he was seen off by both Zach Cook and Hagon for the fifth maximum heat score for the Pirates and it wasn't for lack of effort that Brennan just missed out on bringing that total to six. Lawson completed his perfect night with ease, but, uncharacteristically, trailing at the back, Brennan quickly seized on a chance to blitz by Barker who was losing power. The star signing of the season then went in search of Dan Thompson and wasn't too far adrift by the time the flag fell, but the point gave Poole a twenty six point lead to take into the following night's return in Devon, where the minimum target to qualify from the group is just thirty-three points.

POOLE 58
Richard Lawson 3,3,3,3,3=15 (5)
Tobias Thomsen 1,0,2',1=4+1 (4)
Tom Brennan 3,3,2,3,1=12 (5)
Zach Cook 1,2',1',3=7+2 (4)
Ben Cook 3,1,3,2'=9+1 (4)
Sam Hagon 1,3,3,2',2'=11+2 (5)
Max Perry 0,0,RS,0=0 (3)
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PLYMOUTH 32
Nico Covatti R,R,IRR,IRR=0 (2)
Alfie Bowtell 2,1,0,0=3 (4)
Dan Thompson 2,2,2,2,0,2=10 (6)
Kyle Newman 0,R,TS,1=1 (3)
Ben Barker 2,1',3,0,1,1,R=8+1 (7)
Joe Thompson 2',2,0,1'=5+2 (4)
Jacob Hook 3,1',1,0=5+1 (4)
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Ht 1:  R.Lawson, A.Bowtell, T.Thomsen, N.Covatti [rtd] 4-2 4-2 [58.97]
Ht 2:  J.Hook, J.Thompson, S.Hagon, M.Perry 1-5 5-7 [60.46]
Ht 3:  T.Brennan, D.Thompson, Z.Cook, K.Newman 4-2 9-9 [58.59]
Ht 4:  B.Cook, B.Barker, J.Hook, M.Perry 3-3 12-12 [59.69]
Ht 5:  T.Brennan, Z.Cook, A.Bowtell, N.Covatti [rtd] 5-1 17-13 [59.34]
Ht 6:  R.Lawson, J.Thompson, B.Barker, T.Thomsen 3-3 20-16 [60.03]
Ht 7:  S.Hagon, D.Thompson, B.Cook, K.Newman [rtd] 4-2 24-18 [60.28]
Ht 8:  S.Hagon, T.Thomsen, J.Hook, A.Bowtell 5-1 29-19 [61.12]
Ht 9:  B.Barker, T.Brennan, Z.Cook, J.Thompson 3-3 32-22 [60.34]
Ht 10:  R.Lawson, D.Thompson, T.Thomsen, B.Barker, K.Newman [Tac Subbed] 4-2 36-24 [59.84]
Ht 11:  B.Cook, S.Hagon, B.Barker, A.Bowtell 5-1 41-25 [60.25]
Ht 12:  T.Brennan, D.Thompson, J.Thompson, M.Perry 3-3 44-28 [59.81]
Ht 13:  R.Lawson, B.Cook, B.Barker, D.Thompson 5-1 49-29 [60.59]
Ht 14:  Z.Cook, S.Hagon, K.Newman, J.Hook 5-1 54-30 [60.91]
Ht 15:  R.Lawson, D.Thompson, T.Brennan, B.Barker [rtd] 4-2 58-32 [60.59]

SCB Referee Wayne Jarvis 
POOLE won toss and chose gates 1&3 | PLYMOUTH choose gates 1&3 in heat 15  

Photo credit Tony Hartmann