Result: Poole Pirates v Scunthorpe Scorpions

8/04/26

As a unit, the Pirates were hungry to establish a healthy lead to take with them into the forthcoming second leg and, all too often, were far too strong for the Scorpions who, rather than having a sting in their tail, had a Pickering at their head!

Even he had to be on his toes to hang on to second place in the first half of the opening heat. Kyle Newman was pushing him hard whilst Richard Lawson was storming to victory. Sixteen-year-old Cooper Rushen showed no respect for age as he powered his way to his first outright race win in Poole colours, his scalp being veteran Simon Lambert. Behind them, William Cairns was doubling the meeting score, and Heat Three looked set to deliver even more points for the Pirates as Lewi Kerr and Fraser Bowes escaped the tapes well and were sitting on a 5-1. A slight pit-turn error by Bowes cost him his place, and then a slide-off denied him any points, although he rapidly remounted only to pull up on the next circuit. The big points were, however, forthcoming in Heat Four when skipper Zach Cook felt there was no need to hang around for Rushen. He was right to do so, as Cooper had the comfortable beating of Michael Palm-Toft to etch the first 5-1 on the scorecard, just ahead of a bout of track grading. Once the tractors were off the circuit, Poole were again making Pickering work. It took the Australian nearly three laps to move by Kerr, but he could not catch Bowes, who was using this heat to start an unbeaten sequence for himself. (20-10)

Drama at the tapes ahead of Heat Six, with Lawson shedding a chain just as the countdown clock had reached 1 minute 16 seconds remaining. After a mad, bike-less dash across the centre green to signal to the pits that he needed attention, he soon re-emerged aboard the captain’s steed. Arriving back at the tapes with fourteen seconds to spare, he kept his victories coming, and this one was ably backed up by Kyle Newman, who made progress from fourth to second. Cook stormed to victory in the seventh, Cairns realising that moving a Mountain is no easy task but settling for the 4-2 by beating Luke Harrison. Lambert was drafted in for Heat Eight, but from gate four Newman leaned across his rivals to establish command at the first turn. It was to be in vain, though, as Ablitt fell between turns three and four, forcing a re-run. Newman was again sharp and strong from the tapes, inspiring Rushen to follow him through for a 5-1 advantage at the expense of Lambert. Kerr and Bowes were increasing their combined scores stealthily: from three points first time out, to four in Heat Five, they made it a full house in Heat Nine over Lambert and Palm-Toft, after which we were to see the Dane no more. Lawson had rectified his earlier problems and, back on his own equipment, his third win of the night was chalked up, but Mountain split Newman from him. (43-17)

Pickering became the first away rider to claim a win, ruining Cook’s maximum hopes, and Ablitt converted it to a 2-4 heat advantage with Cairns kept at the back. Heat Twelve witnessed another piece of impressive speedway from Rushen and, in supporting Kerr’s win, he also completed a programmed paid maximum; again it was Lambert whom he had no problem passing. Needing to get three rides under his belt, Ryan Ingram replaced Palm-Toft in Heat Thirteen, Scunthorpe not conceding points as Pickering won again and, in doing so, had conquered all three Poole heat leaders. Mountain was holding pole position, although facing attacks from both Bowes and Cairns when Lambert took a tumble, forcing the race to be stopped. Bowes was sharper away in the restart and led all the way home, whilst Mountain fended off Cairns’ advances. Riding as if the meeting result hinged on it, Cook made a super-wide move to go round the pack and take up the running in Heat Fifteen. He blitzed by Pickering whilst Kerr passed Mountain to give Poole their twelfth heat advantage and a lead of 32 points to take into the second leg.

POOLE 61
Richard Lawson 3,3,3,1'=10+1 (4)
Kyle Newman 1,2',3,1=7+1 (4)
Lewis Kerr 3,1,3,3,1=11 (5)
Fraser Bowes F,3,2',3=8+1 (4)
Zach Cook 3,3,2,2,3=13 (5)
William Cairns 1,1,0,1=3 (4)
Cooper Rushen 3,2',2',2'=9+3 (4)
.
SCUNTHORPE 29
Josh Pickering 2,2,3,3,2=12 (5)
Nathan Ablitt 0,0,FD,1=1 (4)
Luke Harrison 1',0,0,0=1+1 (4)
Connor Mountain 2,2,2,2,0=8 (5)
Michael Palm-Toft 1,R,0,RS=1 (3)
Simon Lambert 2,1,1,1,1,FD=6 (6)
Ryan Ingram 0,0,RS,0,RS=0 (3)
.
Ht 1: R.Lawson, J.Pickering, K.Newman, N.Ablitt 4-2 4-2 [60.18]
Ht 2: C.Rushen, S.Lambert, W.Cairns, R.Ingram 4-2 8-4 [60.13]
Ht 3: L.Kerr, C.Mountain, L.Harrison, F.Bowes [fell] 3-3 11-7 [61.83]
Ht 4: Z.Cook, C.Rushen, M.Palm-Toft, R.Ingram 5-1 16-8 [60.06]
Ht 5: F.Bowes, J.Pickering, L.Kerr, N.Ablitt 4-2 20-10 [61.39]
Ht 6: R.Lawson, K.Newman, S.Lambert, M.Palm-Toft [rtd] 5-1 25-11 [61.31]
Ht 7: Z.Cook, C.Mountain, W.Cairns, L.Harrison 4-2 29-13 [60.8]
Ht 8: K.Newman, C.Rushen, S.Lambert, N.Ablitt [fell exc] 5-1 34-14 [62.1]
Ht 9: L.Kerr, F.Bowes, S.Lambert, M.Palm-Toft 5-1 39-15 [62.66]
Ht 10: R.Lawson, C.Mountain, K.Newman, L.Harrison 4-2 43-17 [61.32]
Ht 11: J.Pickering, Z.Cook, N.Ablitt, W.Cairns 2-4 45-21 [60.13]
Ht 12: L.Kerr, C.Rushen, S.Lambert, L.Harrison 5-1 50-22 [62.14]
Ht 13: J.Pickering, Z.Cook, R.Lawson, R.Ingram 3-3 53-25 [60.37]
Ht 14: F.Bowes, C.Mountain, W.Cairns, S.Lambert [fell exc] 4-2 57-27 [63.24]
Ht 15: Z.Cook, J.Pickering, L.Kerr, C.Mountain 4-2 61-29 [60.91]

SGB Referee Mr Simon Humphrey-Kennett