REPORT: Edinburgh Monarchs v Poole Pirates

Poole added another aggregate bonus point to their tally but couldn't quite get over the line against a solid Edinburgh side, going down by just 4 points, 47-43

Using rider replacement for Will Cairns, Poole had an opportunity to allow Slater Lightcap to get an early feel for Armadale and he didn't make too bad a gate but inadvertently impeded Richard Lawson and ultimately that allowed Dan Thompson to recover from his backmarker position to move up and support Jonatan Grahn to an opening 5-1 for the Monarchs. Lightcap was looking far more accomplished in heat two with Edward Kennett tucked in behind as support, and a match-levelling outcome looked assured until, on the final lap, the cover of his spark plug worked loose, causing an abrupt lack of power and only a share of the spoils for Poole. Lewis Kerr was unable to make any progress on Justin Sedgmen and Michele 'Paco' Castagna in heat three, allowing the home side to double their lead and send a strong message that they would take no prisoners. A half decent heat four gate by Kennett went begging as his bike packed up on turn two, whilst Kye Thomson had the measure of Zach Cook. Lawson was swiftly into the lead in heat five but all the effort in the world invested by Cooper Rushen couldn't find a way to deny Castagna third place. (20-10)

With a clever second turn switch of lines to pass Edinburgh's heat one maximum pairing, Lightcap remained solid to add a heat six second place back-up to Cook for the Pirates' first heat advantage. Kerr wasn't quite smooth enough entering the first turn in heat seven and that allowed Kye Thomson to pull clear. Darryl Ritchings locked up in front of Rushen but the Poole man was unperturbed and opened his account with a paid second place, in what was his third outing of the night. Mitchell Cluff fell in the middle of the first bend, a victim of a first bend gathering after Edward Kennett had run a tight line to pass him. All four riders were declared eligible for the re-run and Cluff was at the tapes when his bike developed a problem. Waving fervently towards the pits with the two-minute time allowance flasher going, the clock was not showing on the gantry or big screen. Somehow Cluff managed to get the tweak to his machine made and not be timed out, then trapped behind Grahn, and held off Kennett this time, for a big 5-1 for the Monarchs. Instant deployment of the tactical substitute option worked perfectly for Poole as Lawson came in to counter that heat eight score as he had Cook nestled in nicely behind him. In heat ten Kerr made a good move on Grahn to prevent Edinburgh getting any further away  (33-27).

Kennett picked up a start warning in heat eleven and then very nearly wiped out Cluff at the second turn, as he took up third place and set about a lively chase on Thomson, whilst Lawson headed towards his third straight win from four outings. So, just as Poole were getting to within striking distance, the Monarchs made a pair of sharp traps courtesy of Justin Sedgmen and Cluff leaving no opportunity for either Slater or Kerr to create a response. Dan Thompson claimed his first outright win of the night as late as heat thirteen, whilst Lawson had to be sharp to get back into third place after Thomson had momentarily passed him. A great heat fourteen saw Kennett all over Castagna and when he passed down the back straight for the final time it looked as if he might just have done enough, but Castagna was able to get the fractionally better line off the final turn and just grap pole position on  the run to the line, thus securing the meeting win for the Monarchs, although the bonus point was heading southwards. Poole had deferred choice of gates until heat fifteen, having won the toss, and from gates one and three Cook and Lawson wouldn't allow the varieties of Thompson in for a sniff.

EDINBURGH 47
Dan Thompson 2',1,1',3,1=8+2 (5)
Jonatan Grahn 3,0,3,2=8 (4)
Justin Sedgmen 3,2,0,3=8 (4)
Michele Castagna 2',1',1,3=7+2 (4)
Kye Thomson 3,3,2,0,0=8 (5)
Mitchell Cluff 2,RS,2',0,2',0=6+2 (5)
Darryl Ritchings 1',1,0,RS,RS=2+1 (3)

POOLE 43
Richard Lawson 1,3,3,3,1',2'=13+2 (6)
Rider Replacement
Lewis Kerr 1,2,3,0=6 (4)
Cooper Rushen 0,0,1',0,1'=2+2 (5)
Zach Cook 2,3,2',2,3=12+1 (5)
Slater Lightcap 0,R,2',0,TS,1=3+1 (5)
Edward Kennett 3,R,1,1,2=7 (5)
.
Ht 1:  J.Grahn, D.Thompson, R.Lawson, S.Lightcap 5-1 5-1 [56.04]
Ht 2:  E.Kennett, M.Cluff, D.Ritchings, S.Lightcap [rtd] 3-3 8-4 [58.23]
Ht 3:  J.Sedgmen, M.Castagna, L.Kerr, C.Rushen 5-1 13-5 [56.62]
Ht 4:  K.Thomson, Z.Cook, D.Ritchings, E.Kennett [rtd] 4-2 17-7 [56.17]
Ht 5:  R.Lawson, J.Sedgmen, M.Castagna, C.Rushen 3-3 20-10 [56.69]
Ht 6:  Z.Cook, S.Lightcap, D.Thompson, J.Grahn 1-5 21-15 [56.88]
Ht 7:  K.Thomson, L.Kerr, C.Rushen, D.Ritchings 3-3 24-18 [56.2]
Ht 8:  J.Grahn, M.Cluff, E.Kennett, S.Lightcap 5-1 29-19 [57.37]
Ht 9:  R.Lawson, Z.Cook, M.Castagna, J.Sedgmen, S.Lightcap [Tac Subbed] 1-5 30-24 [57.4]
Ht 10:  L.Kerr, J.Grahn, D.Thompson, C.Rushen 3-3 33-27 [57.41]
Ht 11:  R.Lawson, K.Thomson, E.Kennett, M.Cluff 2-4 35-31 [57.96]
Ht 12:  J.Sedgmen, M.Cluff, S.Lightcap, L.Kerr 5-1 40-32 [57.95]
Ht 13:  D.Thompson, Z.Cook, R.Lawson, K.Thomson 3-3 43-35 [57.86]
Ht 14:  M.Castagna, E.Kennett, C.Rushen, M.Cluff 3-3 46-38 [58.64]
Ht 15:  Z.Cook, R.Lawson, D.Thompson, K.Thomson 1-5 47-43 [58.36]

SGB Referee Mr Craig Ackroyd