Belle Vue Aces v Poole Pirates

1/07/19

The mid-line-up combination of Nicolai Klindt and captain Josh Grajczonek once again provided a solid foundation on which the Pirates were able to build a decent advantage, strong enough to withstand a late Aces recovery and gain their second successive two-point margin away win. 

The meeting warmed up with some good exchanges of supremacy between the respective number ones, Brady Kurtz being elevated to that slot for July, but Max Fricke eventually took the win. Poole had a pair of guests in heat two, Luke Becker in for in the injured Nico Covatti and Jye Etheridge covering for Nikolai Busk-Jakobsen who was still stood down following last week's illness.

It was Etheridge who made the livelier start but neither could find the answer to the experience of Frenchman Dimitri Berge who maintained the Aces' early lead.

That however was wiped out and more when Klindt did the hard work on lap one and then Grajczonek pulled off a delightul pass on lap two and now the Pirates had their noses in front. Another bright start from Etheridge gave hopes of a shock result but he left the door ajar allowing Kenneth Bjerre to attack to become the third Aces race winner. Once more, in heat five Etheridge, made his presence felt and stuck strongly to his task of trying to restrain Dan Bewley. Eventually the popular home teenager did find a way by but Kurtz had the race in the bag to allow Poole to creep a little further ahead, 13-17.

Jack Holder was resolute in heat six, keeping Fricke behind him and then the Pirates' dynamic duo of Klindt and Grajczonek dominated the seventh as an eight point lead was showing on the progressive scores.

Mark Lemon had to delay any tactical options because of the protected heat eight and with Poole fielding key man Grajczonek as their rider replacement (for Richie Worrall) option the visitors had the firepower to inflict more misery on the home side, although to his credit Jaimon Lidsey headed Grajczonek for three laps. The tactical came in heat nine and Fricke, given the nomination, went from third to first but crucially, for Poole, Becker was battling determinedly to hold out Bewley. No real damage done; Poole led by ten and heats were running out.

Grajczonek did exceptionally well to defy a clever move from Fricke around the third and fourth turns, this time around though he didn't have his 'shoulder buddy' Klindt alongside as the Dane was finding progress from the back tough. Kurtz and Etheridge both went in search of the same piece of track down the backstraight and whilst it allowed Kurtz to find the run needed, Etheridge had to instantly slow up (not easy on a speedway bike) and that cost him against Berge for ultimate third place.

Klindt recovered from his previous ride no-score to execute a Fricke-style move on turns three and four with near perfection to set up another race win for the Pirates and there was very little in the final margin at the flag for third, Berge just edging it from Becker. Poole were in the forties and just five points shy of a guaranteed win, the Aces therefore needing something big over the course of the final three heats.

Kurtz appeared to 'nod off' on lap two offering little in defence to Bjerre's threat for the third place that gave Belle Vue a 4-2, but the home side still needed two 5-1's just to save the defeat and eke out a draw. 

But Grajczonek stuck to Berge for four thrilling laps of speedway in heat 14. Berge had so much to do in just holding out the Poole skipper he couldn't influence the outcome of the race, that had, behind them, Steve Worrall  getting free of Etheridge. The Pirates were home and dry. Just in time because it proved because Fricke and Bjerre were too hot for Kurtz and Holder to handle, a 5-1 that denied Poole the fourth league point.

BELLE VUE 44
M.Fricke 3,2,3,2,3,3=16
J.Lidsey 1,1',2,1'=5+2
D.Bewley 1,2,0,2=5
S.Worrall 0,0,1=1
K.Bjerre 3,1,2,1,2'=9+1
D.Berge 3,0,1',1',3=8+2
K.Bickley 0,0,0

POOLE 46
B.Kurtz 2,3,3,0,0=8
R.Replacement
N.Klindt 2',3,0,3=8+1
J.Grajczonek 3,2',3,3,2=13+1
J.Holder 2,3,2,2,1=10
L.Becker 0,2,0,1',0=3+1
J.Etheridge 1',1',1,1,0,0=4+2

Ht 1: M.Fricke, B.Kurtz, J.Lidsey, L.Becker 4-2 4-2 |62]
Ht 2: D.Berge, L.Becker, J.Etheridge, K.Bickley 3-3 7-5 [62.09]
Ht 3: J.Grajczonek, N.Klindt, D.Bewley, S.Worrall 1-5 8-10 [62.07]
Ht 4: K.Bjerre, J.Holder, J.Etheridge, K.Bickley 3-3 11-13 [61.9]
Ht 5: B.Kurtz, D.Bewley, J.Etheridge, S.Worrall 2-4 13-17 [61.35]
Ht 6: J.Holder, M.Fricke, J.Lidsey, L.Becker 3-3 16-20 [61.69]
Ht 7: N.Klindt, J.Grajczonek, K.Bjerre, D.Berge 1-5 17-25 [62.15]
Ht 8: J.Grajczonek, J.Lidsey, J.Etheridge, K.Bickley 2-4 19-29 [61.69]
Ht 9: M.Fricke (TS), J.Holder, L.Becker, D.Bewley 3-3 22-32 [62.13]
Ht 10: J.Grajczonek, M.Fricke, J.Lidsey, N.Klindt 3-3 25-35 [62.07]
Ht 11: B.Kurtz, K.Bjerre, D.Berge, J.Etheridge 3-3 28-38 [62.59]
Ht 12: N.Klindt, D.Bewley, D.Berge, L.Becker 3-3 31-41 [62.94]
Ht 13: M.Fricke, J.Holder, K.Bjerre, B.Kurtz 4-2 35-43 [62.65]
Ht 14: D.Berge, J.Grajczonek, S.Worrall, J.Etheridge 4-2 39-45 [63.57]
Ht 15: M.Fricke, K.Bjerre, J.Holder, B.Kurtz 5-1 44-46 [62.22]
Gates: BELLE VUE won toss and chose gates 1&3 | POOLE took gates 1&3 in heat 15
Referee Craig Ackroyd
League Points BELLE VUE 0 POOLE 3
Rider of the Night: Josh Grajczonek