REPORT: Poole 50 Edinburgh 40

The Poole 'Wessex Marine' Pirates continued to apply pressure on league leaders Oxford, as they moved into second place in the table with a hard-earned 50-40 victory over a resilient Stellar Edinburgh Monarchs side, that betrayed their bottom-place standing.

With previous knowledge of how resilient Edinburgh can be at Wimborne Road, the Scottish side having only lost by single digits when they appeared for a KO cup tie earlier in the campaign, it was key for the Pirates to get off to a good start.
A volley of 4-2 advantages ensured that happened, with perhaps the biggest shock being a rare last place for Monarchs' number one Josh Pickering in the opener. Poole were at risk of seeing one of those advantages being pulled back, in heat four, until Connor Coles, in third place, suffered a spluttering motor that allowed the host's guest Max Perry, who had been giving Coles a hard time over the course of the first lap, a chance to take a heat-sharing third place as Justin Sedgmen notched the first part of what was to prove a programmed ride maximum.
Heat five brought about a great battle between Ben Cook and Pickering, simply for the minor places as Kye Thomson led home Zack Cook, and that was followed by win number two for Sedgmen as the meeting was taking on a pattern of three Poole advantages followed by three shared heats. That was spoiled a little when a fourth consecutive share ensured, not before though, Tom Brennan was being put to the test out front, one that he came through successfully despite Michele 'Paco' Castagna throwing everything at him. For two laps behind them there was a strong contest between Lasse Fredriksen and Sam Hagon, but that fizzled out when Hagon momentarily lost power. Despite that last place, Hagon was given an immediate recall, replacing Perry in heat eight. Tobias Thomsen made a very untidy start but was soon moving through the pack and only had Kye Thomson ahead of him arriving at turn 3 but somehow he seemed to miss the turn and took a very heavy fall. After a short delay he was, thankfully, able to walk back to pits knowing he was disqualified from re-start. That placed Hagon under pressure from the off and Kye Thomson refused to let-up but ultimately had to concede the victory to young Hagon, as still six points remained between the sides.
That allowed for Pickering to be called upon as an Edinburgh tactical substitute, partnering Justin Sedgmen, a formidable looking partnership, but one which Ben Cook brilliantly managed to split with an excellent first turn. Heat ten had Castagna making a sharp gate and that left Lawson just a little too much to do and the shared heats returned (32-28).
Brennan established a good lead in heat eleven, but the ever-improving Pickering was closing lap on lap, Brennan's resolve coming to the fore.
Max Perry made a good pass on Max James in heat 12 but the race had to be stopped after James' attempt to come back at him resulted in contact that left Perry sprawling down the home straight, coming to halt but with his bike on top of him. James was disqualified from the rerun whilst Perry picked himself up, returned to the saddle and immediately put Fredriksen under pressure at the first turn in the rerun, whilst Ben Cook was collecting a much deserved win, one that had been long overdue. Completing his programed rides unbeaten Sedgmen did so in style with a first bend sweep in heat 13 whilst Brennan had to work hard to fend off Pickering for a share of the spoils. Zach Cook ensured that the Pirates got the meeting 'over the line' when he made an excellent pass on Castagna in the rerun of heat fourteen, initially called back due to Castagna moving at the start for which he was warned. Lawson eventually managed to work out a way to defeat Sedgmen and with Brennan taking third place the Pirates had achieved a double-digit lead to take with them to Edinburgh in August where the aggregate bonus point will go on the line.

POOLE 50
Richard Lawson 3,2,2,2,3=12 (5)
Tobias Thomsen 1,1',FD,1'=3+2 (4)
Ben Cook 1,1',2,3=7+1 (4)
Zach Cook 3,2,0,3=8 (4)
Tom Brennan 2,3,3,1',1=10+1 (5)
Sam Hagon 3,0,3,0,1=7 (5)
Max Perry 1,1',RS,1=3+1 (3)
.
EDINBURGH 40
Josh Pickering 0,0,1,2,0=3 (5)
Kye Thomson 2,3,2,1'=8+1 (4)
Lasse Fredriksen 0,1',0,2=3+1 (4)
Michele Castagna 2,2,3,2,0=9 (5)
Justin Sedgmen 3,3,3,3,2=14 (5)
Max James 0,0,TS,X0=0 (3)
Connor Coles 2,0,1',0=3+1 (4)
.
Ht 1:  R.Lawson, K.Thomson, T.Thomsen, J.Pickering 4-2 4-2 [59.28]
Ht 2:  S.Hagon, C.Coles, M.Perry, M.James 4-2 8-4 [60.59]
Ht 3:  Z.Cook, M.Castagna, B.Cook, L.Fredriksen 4-2 12-6 [59.69]
Ht 4:  J.Sedgmen, T.Brennan, M.Perry, C.Coles 3-3 15-9 [59.66]
Ht 5:  K.Thomson, Z.Cook, B.Cook, J.Pickering 3-3 18-12 [59.68]
Ht 6:  J.Sedgmen, R.Lawson, T.Thomsen, M.James 3-3 21-15 [59.54]
Ht 7:  T.Brennan, M.Castagna, L.Fredriksen, S.Hagon 3-3 24-18 [60.09]
Ht 8:  S.Hagon, K.Thomson, C.Coles, T.Thomsen [fell exc] 3-3 27-21 [61]
Ht 9:  J.Sedgmen, B.Cook, J.Pickering, Z.Cook, M.James [Tac Subbed] 2-4 29-25 [60]
Ht 10:  M.Castagna, R.Lawson, T.Thomsen, L.Fredriksen 3-3 32-28 [60.75]
Ht 11:  T.Brennan, J.Pickering, K.Thomson, S.Hagon 3-3 35-31 [60.37]
Ht 12:  B.Cook, L.Fredriksen, M.Perry, M.James [exc] 4-2 39-33 [60.81]
Ht 13:  J.Sedgmen, R.Lawson, T.Brennan, J.Pickering 3-3 42-36 [59.9]
Ht 14:  Z.Cook, M.Castagna, S.Hagon, C.Coles 4-2 46-38 [60.94]
Ht 15:  R.Lawson, J.Sedgmen, T.Brennan, M.Castagna 4-2 50-40 [61.35]

SCB Referee Gary Allen 
EDINBURGH won toss and deferred choice to heat 15; POOLE chose gates 2&4 |EDINBURGH choose gates 1&3 in heat 15  
League Points: POOLE 2 EDINBURGH 0
 

Photos credit: Anthony Burchell & Tony Hartmann