Poole Pirates v Peterborough Panthers

1/08/19

For the first time in four attempts this season the Pirates managed to clinch a win against a Peterborough side, doing so with heats to spare but also having to work hard to finally stave off a fairly resilient Panthers outfit.

The visitors began with an opening heat advantage, once again Scott Nicholls showed his liking for his ex-track and it took the solid pairing of Nicolai Klindt and Josh Grajczonek to put Poole ahead, as they delighted the good-sized crowd with some attacking passing.
Klindt powering round the second turn on the opening lap, Grajczonek requiring the next two laps to secure a position directly behind his partner, leaving Ty Proctor and newly crowned British Champion Charles Wright in his wake.
Brady Kurtz, on his track return, followed Klindt's example to win heat four, Wells providing the third place back up to extend the Pirates advantage.
But more veteran Nicholls was enough to help Peterborough claw back two points, beating Klindt as Grajczonek spun up at the start and left himself far too much to do. 
Jack Holder had only one position on his throttle as he drove hard by Hans Andersen in heat six and momentarily it looked as though Ricky Wells was creating another Poole 5-1 but Andersen fought his way back in to second place. 
Nico Covatti was fast away in heat seven but drifted back under pressure from Charles Wright who had no chance of closing leader Kurtz down. Those back-to-back 4-2 advantages established Poole a six point lead at 24-18 and the margin remained like that after a shared heat eight, Ryan Douglas, in third, making a dreadful error on the final lap but it went unpunished by Ricky Wells who was too far back at the time of the mistake. 
Klindt and Grajczonek 'restored normal service' from their partnership in heat nine; 32-22 the score moved to, prompting Peterborough to put Nicholls out as a tactical. But a determined effort from Covatti foiled that move, as Poole, through Holder's win, banked another 4-2.
A warning shot was fired by Peterborough when Rohan Tungate and Scott Nicholls coasted to a 5-1, reminding the Pirates that the job wasn't quite finished. 
The 12 point lead (37-29) steadily increased, by a 4-2 from Klindt and Wells in heat 12 and then a 5-1 from Aussies Kurtz and Holder, the latter making a hard move on Andersen on the second lap at the first turn, which was not overly well received by the Dane.
But Poole were grateful they had a decent enough cushion of points as they conceded the final two heats 2-4, reserve Ryan Douglas contributing half of the Panthers score in those last two races, winning heat 14 and then beating Holder in fifteen as Nicholls completed another solid score against the Pirates (13+1).

POOLE 50 
J.Holder 2,3,3,2',0=10+1 
Rider Replacement 
N.Klindt 3,2,3,3,2=13 
J.Grajczonek 2',0,3,2',0=7+2 
B.Kurtz 3,3,1,3=10 
N.Covatti 0,0,1,1,0,2=4 
R.Wells 3,1,1,0,1=6 

PETERBOROUGH 40 
R.Tungate 1,1,3,0=5 
S.Nicholls 3,3,2,0,2',3=13+1 
C.Wright 0,2,2,2=6 
T.Proctor 1,R,1=2 
H.Andersen 0,2,1,1=4 
A.Summers 2,0,0,0=2 
R.Douglas 1',2,1',3,1=8+2 

Ht 1:  S.Nicholls,  J.Holder,  R.Tungate,  N.Covatti  (RR) 2-4  2-4 |59.47] 
Ht 2:  R.Wells,  A.Summers,  R.Douglas,  N.Covatti 3-3  5-7 [60.56] 
Ht 3:  N.Klindt,  J.Grajczonek,  T.Proctor,  C.Wright 5-1  10-8 [59.75] 
Ht 4:  B.Kurtz,  R.Douglas,  R.Wells,  H.Andersen 4-2  14-10 [60] 
Ht 5:  S.Nicholls,  N.Klindt,  R.Tungate,  J.Grajczonek 2-4  16-14 [59.91] 
Ht 6:  J.Holder,  H.Andersen,  R.Wells  (RR),  A.Summers 4-2  20-16 [61.09] 
Ht 7:  B.Kurtz,  C.Wright,  N.Covatti,  T.Proctor  (Rtd) 4-2  24-18 [59.97] 
Ht 8:  J.Grajczonek  (RR),  S.Nicholls,  R.Douglas,  R.Wells 3-3 27-21 [60.6] 
Ht 9:  N.Klindt,  J.Grajczonek,  H.Andersen,  A.Summers 5-1  32-22 [61.25] 
Ht 10:  J.Holder,  C.Wright,  N.Covatti  (RR),  S.Nicholls  (TS) 4-2  36-24 [60.34] 
Ht 11:  R.Tungate,  S.Nicholls,  B.Kurtz,  N.Covatti 1-5  37-29 [60.78] 
Ht 12:  N.Klindt,  C.Wright,  R.Wells,  A.Summers 4-2  41-31 [61.22] 
Ht 13:  B.Kurtz,  J.Holder,  H.Andersen,  R.Tungate 5-1  46-32 [60.87] 
Ht 14:  R.Douglas,  N.Covatti,  T.Proctor,  J.Grajczonek 2-4  48-36 [61.22] 
Ht 15:  S.Nicholls,  N.Klindt,  R.Douglas,  J.Holder 2-4  50-40 [60.69] 
Gates: PETERBOROUGH won toss and chose gates 1&3 | POOLE took gates 1&3 in heat 15 
Referee Dave Robinson 
League Points POOLE 3 PETERBOROUGH 0 
Rider of the Night: Brady Kurtz 

WEYMOUTH 12
J.Clouting,3,3,FD=6 (3)
J.Laker,1,1,2=4 (3)
A.Palmer,1,1,F=2 (3)
J.Jessop,0,0,0=0 (3)
BIRMINGHAM 23
A.Butcher,2,3,3=8 (3)
B.Fellows,0,2',1=3+1 (3)
J.Fellows,2',F,2=4+1 (3)
T.Spencer,3,2,3=8 (3)

Ht 1: J.Clouting A.Butcher J.Laker B.Fellows, 4-2 4-2 [63.91]
Ht 2: T.Spencer J.Fellows A.Palmer J.Jessop, 1-5 5-7 [68.18]
Ht 3: J.Clouting T.Spencer J.Laker J.Fellows, 4-2 9-9 [63.63]
Ht 4: A.Butcher B.Fellows A.Palmer J.Jessop, 1-5 10-14 [66]
Ht 5: T.Spencer J.Laker B.Fellows J.Jessop, 2-4 12-18 [65.44]
Ht 6: A.Butcher J.Fellows A.Palmer (Fell) J.Clouting (Fell DQ) 0-5 12-23 [66.6]