REPORT:Poole Pirates v Oxford Cheetahs

If there was pressure on their shoulders knowing that only a win would do and club owner Matt Ford was calling the shots in the pits as team manager, the Pirates did well not to evidence that. A well-constructed victory in which they never really looked in danger of drifting behind in, and even secured the win by a margin that also sealed the bonus point!

The closest the Cheetahs came to the Pirates was one point, and that was after the opening heat. Sam Masters was clearly having some mechanical troubles and arrived at the tapes with the clock well into its final quarter phase. As the tapes rose Masters was left with lots of ground to make up and on a bike that had other ideas he could only cruise round for a lap and a bit. Ahead Richard Lawson was leading and Kyle Newman was applying pressure on Luke Killeen, but on the final lap the Pirates 28-day stand in negotiated the first turn none too cleanly and ended embedded in the air barrier and unable to even contemplate the long push home as the red lights came on. The single point advantage was quickly extended to five as the teenage sensations Will Cairns and Cooper Rushen 'five-oned' over the thirty one year olds of Darryl Ritchings and Dayle Wood, proving that experience is not everything. Wood hit the deck and that was not to be the only time, as the meeting progressed. Anders Rowe keenness to show the Poole fans what they were missing this season proved costly as he demolished the starting tapes and was sent off fifteen metres. In the restart, Lewis Kerr began to show signs of a fading motor and he inadvertently ran across team mate Fraser Bowes causing the Australian to fall and bring the red lights on. At the third time of asking,. Kerr made all the running to protect Poole's advantage. Wood was down again in heat four but this time it was all four back, the incident happening as they all charged for the entrance to the first turn. In the re-run Wood outgated Zach Cook but the advantage was short-lived and Cook quickly established an unassailable lead. Rushen was giving Oxford's guest Jason Edward plenty to think about but the race finished all-square. No problems beset Masters in heat five and he rapidly picked off Kerr for Oxford's first race winner which was converted into a heat advantage as Bowes struggled for Poole at the back. (16-13).

In heat six Lawson had to go tight inside tight on the pit turn to get by Edwards. Hoping to help the Pirates cause,  Newman tried hard to pass both Cheetahs in one move and then had to fight to get by Ritchings who went down having got it all wrong. Rowe showed what he can do off scratch, as he banked the winning points in heat seven and although briefly Cairns seemed to have the better of McDiarmid not being able to make it stick saw Oxford achieve their second heat gain. Rushen made the running from the gate but the better ride came from Newman who did well to join him by drilling his way by Killeen and holding it. Asuper composed ride from  Kerr to shrug off Oxford's tactical move that had seen Masters come in for Ritchings, left the Poole number three admitting that he was unaware it was Masters on his shoulder and was thinking how well Ritchings was riding! Heat ten saw Newman make a great gate holding  back both Cheetahs whilst  Lawson missed the start. But the Rocketman turned to turbo and passed both visitors on lap three and still held the pace to round Newman. (35-24).

Oxford weren't quite down and they did their best to keep the match alive as Killeen trapped well and had Masters in tow. The usually quick and attacking Cook was unable to get near enough to realistically threaten. But a heat later Cooper and Kerr both out-gated  ex-Pirates Rowe and Ritchings leaving Oxford requiring 5-1's from the remaining three heats. But the next 5-1 went Poole's way as Cook did well to support Lawson's win. For the first lap Cook's front wheel was well up as he roared down the back straight, having cleverly scythed his way through the middle of Masters and Edwards. Bowes' night ended as it had  started with a disqualification, running out of track as he desperarely tried to get to the front on a wide route round first turn. In the re-run  Cairns kept as wide as he could on first lap and did half the back straight on one wheel. Got it under control and stayed on the fast line even though McDiarmid was interested behind him. Lawson duly completed his personal maximum with victory over Masters and Killeen with Kerr low on power limping round at the back.

POOLE 52
Richard Lawson 3,3,3,3,3=15 (5)
Kyle Newman FD,1,2',2'=5+2 (4)
Lewis Kerr 3,2,3,2',0=10+1 (5)
Fraser Bowes FD,0,0,FD=0 (4)
Zach Cook 3,2,1,2'=8+1 (4)
William Cairns 3,0,0,3=6 (4)
Cooper Rushen 2',0,3,3=8+1 (4)

OXFORD 37
Sam Masters R,3,2,2',1,2=10+1 (6)
Luke Killeen 2,1,1,3,1'=8+1 (5)
Anders Rowe 1'EH,3,1,1=6+1 (4)
Mitch McDiarmid 2,1,0,2=5 (4)
Jason Edwards 1',2,1',0=4+2 (4)
Darryl Ritchings 1,F,TS,0=1 (3)
Dayle Wood F,2,0,1'=3+1 (4)

Ht 1:  R.Lawson, L.Killeen, S.Masters [rtd], K.Newman [fell exc] 3-2 3-2 [AWD]
Ht 2:  W.Cairns, C.Rushen, D.Ritchings, D.Wood [fell] 5-1 8-3 [60.25]
Ht 3:  L.Kerr, M.McDiarmid, A.Rowe[15m handicap], F.Bowes [fell exc] 3-3 11-6 [60.19]
Ht 4:  Z.Cook, D.Wood, J.Edwards, C.Rushen 3-3 14-9 [60.42]
Ht 5:  S.Masters, L.Kerr, L.Killeen, F.Bowes 2-4 16-13 [60.28]
Ht 6:  R.Lawson, J.Edwards, K.Newman, D.Ritchings [fell] 4-2 20-15 [60.53]
Ht 7:  A.Rowe, Z.Cook, M.McDiarmid, W.Cairns 2-4 22-19 [59.92]
Ht 8:  C.Rushen, K.Newman, L.Killeen, D.Wood 5-1 27-20 [60.94]
Ht 9:  L.Kerr, S.Masters, J.Edwards, F.Bowes, D.Ritchings [Tac Subbed] 3-3 30-23 [60.5]
Ht 10:  R.Lawson, K.Newman, A.Rowe, M.McDiarmid 5-1 35-24 [61.31]
Ht 11:  L.Killeen, S.Masters, Z.Cook, W.Cairns 1-5 36-29 [60.42]
Ht 12:  C.Rushen, L.Kerr, A.Rowe, D.Ritchings 5-1 41-30 [61.22]
Ht 13:  R.Lawson, Z.Cook, S.Masters, J.Edwards 5-1 46-31 [61.38]
Ht 14:  W.Cairns, M.McDiarmid, D.Wood, F.Bowes [fell exc] 3-3 49-34 [61.4]
Ht 15:  R.Lawson, S.Masters, L.Killeen, L.Kerr 3-3 52-37 []
SGB Referee Mr Paul Carrington  

Meeting Reaction 

Photo credit Liam Cockwell / Tony Hartmann