REPORT: Glasgow 44 Poole 46

26/07/24

A pre-meeting guarantee from trackside announcer Derek Smith that "we were in for a night of some of the best racing in the country" proved sound enough, but when you've got Chris "Bomber" Harris in town, such assurances could almost come with a 'money- back' clause.

A team that can suppress Harris on three occasions is deserving of victory and Messrs Cook, Lawson and Brennan all made it edge-of-the-seat viewing as the meeting went right to the wire.

A decision that, on a different night, might have seen all four riders called back for the rerun, felt a bit harsh when Richard Lawson was disqualified for going down at the first turn after receiving a nudge from Jack Smith whilst the track was still a little greasy. But it served to put fire in the Rocketman's belly, and he had to time to "stoke it up" whilst lone Pirate, guest Ashton Boughen, put in a good shift to keep Harris as honest as possible and split the Tigers in that re-start.

Vinne Foord rode a sensible race in heat two, not far off getting under James Pearson early doors, but then content to go for the heat share with Sam Hagon, leaving Jason Garrad out of the points. Ben Cook charged, to a satisfying opening ride, but alas, Zach lost position to Slovenian Matej Ivacic thus preventing a chance to level the scores. Foord did just that when he again looked composed and happy to settle for another point over Garrad whilst Tom Brennan was reminding the Glasgow fans just what they were missing this season.

2023 Pirate Anders Rowe shot out of the tapes in heat five leaving Lawson, who was not as quick away as he would have liked, to set chase. Passing Ivacic easy enough, he homed in on Rowe but the youngster is nothing if not resilient and those precious yards he had made off the start proved valuable. Behind the pair of them, Ivacic was leaving it late to get by Boughen but in doing so allowed Glasgow to regain the lead. Brennan led for a quarter of heat six but with Harris nibbling at his exhaust he couldn't quite have enough of the track covered and so the man with Cardiff experience was able to pass this year's British GP wild card. Hagon was unable to make any impression on Smith and so the Tigers doubled their advantage.

The Cook brothers put paid to that situation in heat seven, making successive lap passes on Leon Flint to record the first 5-1 of the evening and level up affairs at twenty-one points each. Vinnie Foord lifted a little off the start in heat eight but he quickly got his act together and passed Smith to split the Tigers, whilst Boughen came perilously close to also getting by Smith which would have shared the heat.

Instead Poole were facing a two point deficit again, a factor that Brennan and Hagon rectified in heat nine with a 4-2, but not before Brennan had to sweat out holding off Rowe. Super speedway ensued in heat ten with Ben Cook and Harris trading places lap on lap, making the fourth turn the chosen exchange point, the same area as indeed Zach made his move on on Smith. This was the sort of action that Derek Smith had promised and with the two captains showing great faith in each other's honesty there couldn't have been a seat in the house with a person left sat on it!

So into the lead for the first time went the Pirates and just a third of the meeting to try and hold on. Lawson had to work overtime to pass Flint and keep Poole ahead before drama unfolded at the start of heat twelve with Ben Cook ruled "unready to race at the expiry of two minutes" as he just eased back when being called into line. Clearly boiling with rage under his helmet, Cook then went to the fifteen metre start point and quickly went in pursuit of those ahead of him. Hagon was happy to allow him by, but then he came up against a 'road block' of resilient Pearson whilst Rowe had control. No matter what Ben tried he couldn't get by and so the meeting swung straight back into Glasgow's advantage.

Time for Lawson to show his true ability and he got clear of the intense battle that was to unfold between Brennan and 'Bomber' and just as it looked like Brennan had done enough, Harris found that little bit of extra speed to pass him on the run to the line. Level again and just two regular heats remaining. Was another super heat about to determine the winners?

Zach Cook played his part in keeping the Pirates chances alive, passing Pearson late on in heat fourteen, the one race in which Foord couldn't quite get amongst the points.

Scores still level. Cue the 'fired-up' Captain Cook and Rocketman to deliver for the Pirates and the never-known-he-is-beaten Harris and classy Rowe to do battle in heat fifteen.

Cook gets away and, in holding up Harris, unselfishly creates a line for Lawson to get on. Harris then manages to get by Cook but any real hope he had of being able to concentrate on hunting Lawson down were dampened as he had to be fully aware of having Cook ready to pounce at any possible opening.

The audible sound of delight, relief and satisfaction was a joy to hear for the travelling Pirate fans as Lawson took the flag, his lead still in tact, and his buddy just one rider away from him.

Victory at Ashfield in the league. Unheard of in modern times.

But this class of 2024 continues to make history. Long may it continue.

GLASGOW 44
Chris Harris 3,3,2,2,2=12 (5)
Jack Smith 1,1,1,0=3 (4)
Anders Rowe 2,3,2,3,0=10 (5)
Matej Ivacic 1',1,0,1'=3+2 (4)
Leon Flint 2,1,2,0=5 (4)
James Pearson 3,RS,3,1',2',2=11+2 (5)
Jason Garrad 0,0,0,RS,RS=0 (3)
.
POOLE 46
Richard Lawson FD,2,3,3,3=11 (5)
Ashton Boughen 2,0,0,0=2 (4)
Ben Cook 3,3,3,1EH,1=11 (5)
Zach Cook 0,2',1,3=6+1 (4)
Tom Brennan 3,2,3,1=9 (4)
Sam Hagon 1',0,1,0=2+1 (4)
Vinnie Foord 2,1,2,0=5 (4)
.
Ht 1:  C.Harris, A.Boughen, J.Smith, R.Lawson [fell exc] 4-2 4-2 [57.65]
Ht 2:  J.Pearson, V.Foord, S.Hagon, J.Garrad 3-3 7-5 [58.45]
Ht 3:  B.Cook, A.Rowe, M.Ivacic, Z.Cook 3-3 10-8 [57.15]
Ht 4:  T.Brennan, L.Flint, V.Foord, J.Garrad 2-4 12-12 [57.68]
Ht 5:  A.Rowe, R.Lawson, M.Ivacic, A.Boughen 4-2 16-14 [57.3]
Ht 6:  C.Harris, T.Brennan, J.Smith, S.Hagon 4-2 20-16 [56.89]
Ht 7:  B.Cook, Z.Cook, L.Flint, J.Garrad 1-5 21-21 [58.17]
Ht 8:  J.Pearson, V.Foord, J.Smith, A.Boughen 4-2 25-23 [58.74]
Ht 9:  T.Brennan, A.Rowe, S.Hagon, M.Ivacic 2-4 27-27 [57.6]
Ht 10:  B.Cook, C.Harris, Z.Cook, J.Smith 2-4 29-31 [57.36]
Ht 11:  R.Lawson, L.Flint, J.Pearson, A.Boughen 3-3 32-34 [58.49]
Ht 12:  A.Rowe, J.Pearson, B.Cook[15m handicap], S.Hagon 5-1 37-35 [58.84]
Ht 13:  R.Lawson, C.Harris, T.Brennan, L.Flint 2-4 39-39 [58.48]
Ht 14:  Z.Cook, J.Pearson, M.Ivacic, V.Foord 3-3 42-42 [59.25]
Ht 15:  R.Lawson, C.Harris, B.Cook, A.Rowe 2-4 44-46 []

SCB Referee Mr Dave Watters 
POOLE won toss and deferred choice to heat 15; GLASGOW chose gates 2&4 |POOLE choose gates 1&3 in heat 15  
League Points: GLASGOW 0 POOLE 2

Post Match Reaction

Photo credit Ian Adam