REPORT: Plymouth v Poole - BSN Series Southern Group

1/06/24

This meeting was rescheduled from Saturday 25th May and conclues the Southern group section, which Poole currently head. The Pirates,defending a 26 point lead, not only secured the bonus point they needed to guarantee qualification, but also posted another victory on the board, winning 47-43

The extent of the Pirates' determination to collect a BSN double over their Devon neigbhours was exemplified in heat one when Richard Lawson worked his way through traffic to get by the Coliseum Commander Ben Barker and doing so in an impressive 52.32 seconds, the fastest time since this season's new shaped circuit was introduced.

Lawson admitted afterwards "it was so nice to get one over them (Plymouth). We could have sat back tonight and just kind of cruised through it, but that is not what we are about.We wanted to win and it feels good, although this is definitely a place I really don't like coming to. It is not a fun place to come, seriously it makes a good training track but that is about it. There is just not enough room but it is what it is and we all got on with the job and like I said, we pulled through. It wasn't fun but I am glad everyone came through safe."

Poole found themselves behind on the night (although still well clear on aggregate) when 2023 Pirate Joe Thompson delivered a tapes to flag win, despite having track debutant Tobias Thomsen working him hard, whilst Jacob Hook eventually found a way by Max Perry as they began the final lap to give the home team a 4-2. A blistering ride by Zach Cook, himself a former Gladiator, setting the Pirates up to square out the meeting in heat three, preceded another 4-2 to the home side as Barker won the first turn 'Battle of the Bens" in heat four and taking the flag in a time within 0.17 seconds of Lawson's new record.

Dan Thompson outpaced Lawson in heat five but then had to concede a win to Ben Cook in heat six as the pair of them earnestly traded places on the opening half lap. Poole were at risk of conceding a 5-1 in heat seven but Zach Cook dug his heels in and split Barker and Joe Thompson, before Sam Hagon delivered a big margin victory in heat eight.

Tobias Thomsen was late arriving at tapes for the start of heat nine, opting to take the short way round from the pits, but still missed the time allowance (and earned a fine for riding on the infield, which he also repeated a few heats later!, Ben Cook ably coping with the opposing brothers to share the heat.

Tom Brennan looked more like his usual self when he popped out of the start to win heat ten and with Zach Cook pushing Alfie Bowtell all the way the Pirates halved the four point deficit on the night, leaving them needing just one finisher in three of the final five heats to mathematically assure them of group winner status.
Certainty of the bonus point was then affirmed when Lawson trapped in heat eleven, for arguably his most trouble free ride of the night. Thomsen earned some decent money (to help offest his fines) when he displayed nerves of steel to squeeze by Joe Thompson, the pair of them locked together coming out of the first bend, and with Zach Cook backing up in third, Poole squared the meeting again.
Drama ensued in heat thirteen, as Ben Cook reared coming out of the tapes and his riderless bike went hurtling straight into the air barrier around the same time as Barker was hitting the fence. The referee was already stopping the heat at the time due to movement by Cook and so all four riders were eligible for the re-run. Unfortunately, with a mangled bike, Ben had to switch to his brother's machine but lost valuable time doing so and became the second rider to reach the start line just as the allowance was being exhausted. Thomsen came in to replace and he again showed true ruthfulness coming out the first turn to move his opponents over and follow home Lawson for a 5-1 that put Poole ahead on the night. Brennan was able to prevent a responding 5-1 from the Gladiators as he moved in between Joe Thompson and guest Jason Garrod and then Thomsen share the spoils. Lawson ensured the double with a heat fifteen win, Brennan suffering what sounded some serious bike trouble.

PLYMOUTH 43
Rider Replacement
Alfie Bowtell 1',1',2,2,0=6+2 (5)
Dan Thompson 2,3,2,2,2,2=13 (6)
Jason Garrod 0,0,RS,R=0 (3)
Ben Barker 2,3,3,2,1,1'=12+1 (6)
Joe Thompson 3,1,1',0,RS,0,3=8+1 (6)
Jacob Hook 1,1,1',1',RS=4+2 (4)
.
POOLE 47
Richard Lawson 3,2,3,3,3=14 (5)
Sam Hagon 0,1',3,0=4+1 (4)
Zach Cook 3,2,1,1=7 (4)
Tom Brennan 1,0,3,2,R=6 (5)
Ben Cook 2,3,3,N2=8 (3)
Tobias Thomsen 2,0,N2,3,2',1'=8+2 (5)
Max Perry 0,0,0,0,RS=0 (4)
.
Ht 1: R.Lawson, B.Barker, A.Bowtell, S.Hagon 3-3 3-3 [52.23]
Ht 2: J.Thompson, T.Thomsen, J.Hook, M.Perry 4-2 7-5 [53.62]
Ht 3: Z.Cook, D.Thompson, T.Brennan, J.Garrod 2-4 9-9 [53.41]
Ht 4: B.Barker, B.Cook, J.Hook, M.Perry 4-2 13-11 [52.4]
Ht 5: D.Thompson, R.Lawson, S.Hagon, J.Garrod 3-3 16-14 [52.34]
Ht 6: B.Cook, D.Thompson, A.Bowtell, T.Thomsen 3-3 19-17 [54.67]
Ht 7: B.Barker, Z.Cook, J.Thompson, T.Brennan 4-2 23-19 [52.76]
Ht 8: S.Hagon, A.Bowtell, J.Hook, M.Perry 3-3 26-22 [53.41]
Ht 9: B.Cook, D.Thompson, J.Thompson, M.Perry 3-3 29-25 [53.2]
Ht 10: T.Brennan, A.Bowtell, Z.Cook, J.Thompson 2-4 31-29 [53]
Ht 11: R.Lawson, B.Barker, J.Hook, S.Hagon 3-3 34-32 [54.05]
Ht 12: T.Thomsen, D.Thompson, Z.Cook, J.Thompson 2-4 36-36 [53.97]
Ht 13: R.Lawson, T.Thomsen, B.Barker, A.Bowtell 1-5 37-41 [53.44]
Ht 14: J.Thompson, T.Brennan, T.Thomsen, J.Garrod [rtd] 3-3 40-44 [53.32]
Ht 15: R.Lawson, D.Thompson, B.Barker, T.Brennan [rtd] 3-3 43-47 [53.75]