REPORT:Glasgow Tigers v Poole Pirates - Play Off Final 2nd Leg - 90.2 v 90.7

17/10/25

The 2025 treble dreams remain alive as the 'Wessex Marine' Pirates clinch the 2025 Cab Direct Championship in the most dramatic of fashions, to retain their title. With Glasgow clawing back the 12 points from the first leg with a 5-1 in heat 13, the tie went down to a superheat where skipper Zach Cook and talisman Richard Lawson prevailed. Here's how it unfolded

A packed Ashfield Stadium witnessed one of the most dramatic Grand Finals ever as the title race went down to the wire and beyond. Chris Harris sped off to win heat one whilst Richard Lawson and Tobias Thomsen were trying to stave off Villads Nagel but the much-hyped teenager showed just why the Glasgow fans love him as he stylishly picked off Thomsen to begin the chipping away at the first leg deficit. But another sensational teenager, William Cairns, kept the Pirates on the straight and narrow with his heat two victory, backed up Paul Starke collecting yet another valuable third place in this Grand Final and the match scores were back to level pegging. Lewi Kerr made a slight error at the first turn in heat three but skipper Zach Cook passed Flint with some ease before romping to a heat sharing win over such a strong middle combination of Flint and Dan Thompson. Heat four saw Anders Rowe and Cairns gate on a 5-1 but the experience of Kyle Howarth enabled him to navigate by Cairns, Poole again cancelling out the previous heat loss. Thompson did well for the Tigers to maintain his lead as he had Lawson all over him but there was to be no strike for Thomsen on Flint by the end of heat 5 (15-15; agg 54-66)

A big sweep from Nagel took him round first bend traffic and into the lead to inflict a 5-1 over Rowe and Starke, as Glasgow began to sense the mission was on. That certainly inspired Howarth who made a really forceful move to shut out Cook and stop a potential Poole 5-1 as the skipper had been accompanying Kerr out front. Then, in heat, the important pass was made by Thomsen as he got by Freddy Hodder to limit the damage of Nagel's solid win. Ashfield erupted as Flint and Thompson struck in heat nine with a 5-1 over Rowe and Starke as it left just four points on aggregate between the two sides and plenty of heats to work away at the deficit. Harris had to work hard in heat ten to prevent the Pirates gaining the initiative, the shared heat doing nothing for the blood pressure for either set of fans. (34-26; agg 73-77)

Lawson, uncharacteristically went into his third ride of the night without a race win and came out the other side still seeking one, as he just couldn't create a strong enough opportunity for force Howarth into an error. Thomsen was backing up in third to maintain the air of tension that was gripping the packed stadium. A third successive shared heat was written into the programmes, mostly by very chewed pens and pencils, as Kerr managed to get by Thompson for what proved to be a vital victory. Heat thirteen had everything as Lawson and Harris went head to head again. This was far more competitive than heat one and it seemed as Lawson might end his sequence of second places, but Harris was hunting down a personal maximum and there gap between them as they came round the fourth turn was barely visible. Harris was edging Lawson out, the Poole man unprepared to give way started leaning back in, but slid down. Whilst the red lights came on it was after both Harris and Howarth had crossed the line and reviewing the footage from the TV coverage the referee was content that his initial decision that Harris had not down anything unfairly, could be upheld. So the scores were all square, with two regular heats remaining. Poole looked the more fanciful for the heat advantage in fourteen until Cairns, in third, packed up leaving Cook's winning rides the only points being added to the Pirate's tally. An equal number went Glasgow's way so the status quo maintained. The 2025 title would go to the next side to get a heat advantge. There wasn't to be one in fifteen, but only because Harris, the Pirates' play-off nemesis, broke the hearts of the Poole fans once again. He managed to pick off Cook as Poole were on a 4-2 and the destiny of the league title was going into extra-time. A superheat where avoiding last place was all that was needed. Cook and Lawson decided the best way to avoid that last place was to get out the gate, hit clear air and stay there. Sounds easy enough but of course Glasgow had the Bomber in their camp so easy never comes into it. But to the silence of the stunned crowd the Poole pair cleared off into the distance and the double treble dream remains alive.

GLASGOW 51 (90)
Chris Harris 3,3,3,3,3=15 (5+1)
Villads Nagel 1,2',3,0=6+1 (4)
Dan Thompson 1',3,2',2=8+2 (4)
Leon Flint 2,1,3,2=8 (4)
Kyle Howarth 2,2,3,2',0=9+1 (5+1)
Freddy Hodder 2,RS,1,0,1',1'=5+2 (5)
Max Perry 0,0,0,RS,RS=0 (3)
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POOLE 39 (90)
Richard Lawson 2,2,2,Fd,1'=7+1 (5+1)
Tobias Thomsen 0,0,2,1'=3+1 (4)
Lewis Kerr 0,3,1',3=7+1 (4)
Zach Cook 3,1,2,3,2=11 (5+1)
Anders Rowe 3,1,1,1=6 (4)
Paul Starke 1,0,0,RS=1 (3)
William Cairns 3,1,0,0,R=4 (5)
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Ht 1: C.Harris, R.Lawson, V.Nagel, T.Thomsen 4-2 4-2 [56.93]
Ht 2: W.Cairns, F.Hodder, P.Starke, M.Perry 2-4 6-6 [58.04]
Ht 3: Z.Cook, L.Flint, D.Thompson, L.Kerr 3-3 9-9 [57.45]
Ht 4: A.Rowe, K.Howarth, W.Cairns, M.Perry 2-4 11-13 [57.49]
Ht 5: D.Thompson, R.Lawson, L.Flint, T.Thomsen 4-2 15-15 [57.36]
Ht 6: C.Harris, V.Nagel, A.Rowe, P.Starke 5-1 20-16 [57.21]
Ht 7: L.Kerr, K.Howarth, Z.Cook, M.Perry 2-4 22-20 [57.9]
Ht 8: V.Nagel, T.Thomsen, F.Hodder, W.Cairns 4-2 26-22 [57.07]
Ht 9: L.Flint, D.Thompson, A.Rowe, P.Starke 5-1 31-23 [58.28]
Ht 10: C.Harris, Z.Cook, L.Kerr, V.Nagel 3-3 34-26 [57.56]
Ht 11: K.Howarth, R.Lawson, T.Thomsen, F.Hodder 3-3 37-29 [58.48]
Ht 12: L.Kerr, D.Thompson, F.Hodder, W.Cairns 3-3 40-32 [58.28]
Ht 13: C.Harris, K.Howarth, A.Rowe, R.Lawson [fell exc] 5-1 45-33 [56.51]
Ht 14: Z.Cook, L.Flint, F.Hodder, W.Cairns [rtd] 3-3 48-36 [59.11]
Ht 15: C.Harris, Z.Cook, R.Lawson, K.Howarth 3-3 51-39 [58.33]
Ht 16: Z.Cook (4pts) R.Lawson (3pts), C.Harris (2pts), K.Howarth (0pt)