REPORT: Play Off Semi Final First Leg - Poole 52 Workington 38

Pirates have built a 14-point lead to defend on Saturday night as they seek progress to the Play Off Final

Targeted with the mission of building a healthy first leg advantage, the Pirates found themselves kept closely in check over the first four heats with only a Cook brothers 4-2 advantage in heat three separating the Pirates from the injury torn Workington Comets. It was one of the Comets' guests, Leon Flint that did well to prevent the awesome Aussies from repeating their exploits from the last time the Cumbrian side were in town. Flint managed to sneak in between them off the pit turn and although Zach appeared to have plenty of speed under him, every effort he made to try and reclaim his temporary second was countered by Flint.

After having secured a second place on his track return since the end of July, Vinnie Foord was in the early mix of heat four, but wasn't able to prevent Paul Starke, so frequently having been seen wearing Foord's number himself for the Pirates, from going by. Starke's partner Troy Batchelor then adopted the role of shepherd and nursing the Comets to a shared heat as neither were in attacking distance of runaway leader Tom Brennan.
Those Cook boys refused to offer up any opportunity for either of the Comets other two guests, Jason Edwards or Lewis Kerr to try and split them and the first maximum heat score of the night was posted.
Both Richard Lawson and Sam Hagon were sharp from the tapes and whilst Lawson had no problems in delivering another Poole win, Hagon was unable to hold off Batchelor but it certainly wasn't due to lack of effort. Nevertheless the 4-2 extended Poole's advantage to eight, a level that was maintained in a Brennan-won heat seven, although had Tobias Thomsen been able to execute the intentions of his move on Antti Vuolas down the back straight on the opening lap it might well have finished in another gain for the Pirates. The lead was extended though in heat eight when Sam Hagon gave a flash of his true ability, drilling his way round the field using the extreme width of the track and powering off the pit turn with a clean passage ahead of him. Supported by the battling Foord back in third place the Pirates' lead moved into double figures with just under half the meeting to go.

Skipper Ben Cook made speedway passing look simple as he breezed by Batchelor to set up a 4-2 from heat nine and then Lawson, for the first real time, was put to the test in heat ten as he found himself behind opponents in the chase to the first turn, with Hagon behind. Lawson wasted no time however and was soon in command whilst Hagon had hearts in mouths as he tried to squeeze himself into a points scoring position on the entry to the back straight as he just allowed the bike to run around that first bend. Doing exceptionally well to stay aboard, the move didn't quite yield the outcome he had hoped but his efforts were warmly appreciated by the Poole faithful. Brennan, again, was wheel perfect in heat eleven, and it was a similar story for Ben Cook in heat twelve, who glancing over his shoulder to see if he could help Foord any, quickly realised he needed to 'kick on' as Vuolas was in a threatening position.

Lawson produced an exquisite switch of lines entering the first turn in heat thirteen whilst Brennan threw everything he could muster at Kerr seeking to keep his unbeaten tag, but he was destined not to do so when, fractionally thrown off course on the third lap off the fourth turn. The resulting 4-2 took the margin to fourteen points and a real big finish from the Pirates might well have moved that into 'a score'. But Flint had other ideas and got clear of Zach Cook, but not by much and Cook worked tirelessly to try and get by. Such were his efforts, he picked up unwanted grip in the closing stages and felt the full force of the home straight fence, as the race was awarded with the Comets securing their one and only heat advantage, one of a 1-5 magnitude and back to mere ten points went the difference. But Lawson and Ben Cook still both had the personal glory of unbeaten performances to go for and they clinically completed them, Lawson a full fifteen and Ben a paid version, as Poole secured a 52-38 home win

POOLE 52
Richard Lawson 3,3,3,3,3=15 (5)
Sam Hagon 0,1,3,0=4 (4)
Ben Cook 3,2',3,3,2'=13+2 (5)
Zach Cook 1,3,1,F=5 (4)
Tom Brennan 3,3,3,1=10 (4)
Tobias Thomsen 1',0,0,1=2+1 (4)
Vinnie Foord 2,0,1,0=3 (4)
.
WORKINGTON 38
Lewis Kerr 2,0,1',2=5+1 (4)
Jason Edwards 1,1,0,2=4 (4)
Antti Vuolas 0,1',1',2=4+2 (4)
Leon Flint 2,2,2,3,0=9 (5)
Troy Batchelor 1',2,2,0,1=6+1 (5)
Sam McGurk 0,0,0,RS=0 (3)
Paul Starke 3,2,2,1',2=10+1 (5)
0
Ht 1:  R.Lawson, L.Kerr, J.Edwards, S.Hagon 3-3 3-3 [60.87]
Ht 2:  P.Starke, V.Foord, T.Thomsen, S.McGurk 3-3 6-6 [62.59]
Ht 3:  B.Cook, L.Flint, Z.Cook, A.Vuolas 4-2 10-8 [60.47]
Ht 4:  T.Brennan, P.Starke, T.Batchelor, V.Foord 3-3 13-11 [60.34]
Ht 5:  Z.Cook, B.Cook, J.Edwards, L.Kerr 5-1 18-12 [60.28]
Ht 6:  R.Lawson, T.Batchelor, S.Hagon, S.McGurk 4-2 22-14 [61.12]
Ht 7:  T.Brennan, L.Flint, A.Vuolas, T.Thomsen 3-3 25-17 [60.38]
Ht 8:  S.Hagon, P.Starke, V.Foord, J.Edwards 4-2 29-19 [61.59]
Ht 9:  B.Cook, T.Batchelor, Z.Cook, S.McGurk 4-2 33-21 [60.5]
Ht 10:  R.Lawson, L.Flint, A.Vuolas, S.Hagon 3-3 36-24 [60.89]
Ht 11:  T.Brennan, J.Edwards, L.Kerr, T.Thomsen 3-3 39-27 [60.86]
Ht 12:  B.Cook, A.Vuolas, P.Starke, V.Foord 3-3 42-30 [60.85]
Ht 13:  R.Lawson, L.Kerr, T.Brennan, T.Batchelor 4-2 46-32 [60.83]
Ht 14:  L.Flint, P.Starke, T.Thomsen, Z.Cook [fell] 1-5 47-37 [awd]
Ht 15:  R.Lawson, B.Cook, T.Batchelor, L.Flint 5-1 52-38 [61.28]

SGB Referee  Mr Matthew Edwards-Wear 
WORKINGTON won toss and chose gates 2&4 | POOLE choose gates 1&3 in heat 15  

Post Meeting Reaction

Photo Credits: Tony Hartmann & Anthony Burchell