REPORT: Poole 59 Workington 31 - BSN Series Semi Final

21/08/24

Pirates responded to Dan Ford's request for a return to form, as they posted a 59-31 victory in the first leg of the BSN Series Semi Final.

Poole were under pressure to deliver a strong response and keep themselves on course for silverware in the BSN Series and with Workington, on paper, looking a much tougher proposition to that which the Pirates beat 61-29 the scene was set .
After a cautious start, not helped by Sam Hagon lifting ugly as he dropped the clutch in heat one and something of a confusing start to heat number a close encounter looked a certainty.
Cue the Cook boys. Led by Ben, the brothers broke the deadlock with an emphatic 5-1 over Drew Kemp and Antti Vuolas in heat three and the Tom Brennan demonstrated how beneficial a patient ride can be as he chose the absolute right time to make his move on the fast gating Troy Batchelor to win heat four and with guest Ben Trigger outgating former Pirate Paul Starke (winner of heat two) the Pirates extended their lead to six.
Craig Cook failed to meet the two minute time allowance and was replaced by Sam McGurk in heat five and the incoming rider was then embroiled in an incident late into the first bend when he and Zach Cook collided. Taking his time and the advantage of a number of replays, referee Dave Watters reached the conclusion that all four riders would be invited back for another go. This time Zach rounded Jason Edwards with ease, off the same pit turn, to bank another siblling 5-1. It was in a similar area that Hagon left the Poole fans with their hearts in their mouths as, with one wheel in the area he squeezed by Batchelor, having just got by Starke and, with the fence looming, just managed to get his bike back under full control, from whence he was able to concentrate in following Richard Lawson home, for his first 5-1 in twenty six rides for the Pirates.
Thomsen was struggling for power in the early phases of heat seven but had managed to keep the bike moving when Drew Kemp inexplicably ploughed into the third turn air-barrier, causing the race to be stopped, subsequently awarded in Poole's favour as a 4-2. There were no heroics from Hagon in heat eight as he missed the start badly, unlike Trigger who momentarily held second place over Edwards, the race ending with Workington have chiselled off four of the deficit points, although still trailed 18-30.
Heat nine took two attempts, the first hauled back due to Zach Cook making an obvious flier, for which he was warned. Second time around it was Batchelor first away and able to defy a potential pass from Zach, but then had absolutely no answers to a stunning move, from third placed, Ben Cook at the fourth turn, which saw the skipper ease into the lead. Inspired, Zach kept niggling away and around the pit turn on the second circuit slipped by to achieve a hat-trick of 5-1's from the heat of the engine room.
Hagon made a far better gate, one of his best for a while in fact, but he couldn't quite get by Vuolas but holding third it converted Lawson's third straight win into a 4-2 and an eighteen point (39-21) lead two-third in.
Brennan matched Lawson by achieving his third win of the night, without the drama that Thomsen was starring in behind. He had been able to pass Craig Cook, briefly, on lap one, and may well have gone into second had he not shut off early heading into turn one on the second lap. Detained in fourth place he nevertheless kept in close contact and when Craig Cook's miserable night took another bleak turn, he was there to quickly grab third place.
Post interval, Ben Cook suffered the agony of sitting on a defiant machine that refused to leave the start line with any discernible power, but stepping in as pacemaker was partner Thomsen, who was riding one of the motors from the Lawson-stable. He passed Vuolas entering turn four on the opening lap and the twenty-point lead stayed intact.
Craig Cook clearly had designs on upsetting the maximums for both Lawson and Brennan but he hadn't banked on Lawson deciding to make the move that Ben Cook had pulled off in heat nine. It was perfectly executed by Lawson and with Brennan backing up a fifth maximum heat score was posted by a Poole pairing. Make that six as Thomsen quickly picked off Kemp to join Zach Cook who was completing his paid maximum, but he would be the only to achieve such as Craig Cook worked even harder in heat fifteen to lead both Brennan and Lawson home.

POOLE 59
Richard Lawson 3,3,3,3,1'=13+1 (5)
Sam Hagon 0,2',0,1=3+1 (4)
Ben Cook 3,3,3,R=9 (4)
Zach Cook 2',2',2',3=9+3 (4)
Tom Brennan 3,3,3,2',2=13+1 (5)
Tobias Thomsen 2,1,1,3,2'=9+1 (5)
Ben Trigger 1',1,1,RS=3+1 (3)
.
WORKINGTON 31
Craig Cook 2,N2,R,1,3=6 (4)
Jason Edwards 1',1,2',2=6+2 (4)
Antti Vuolas 0,2,2,2,0=6 (5)
Drew Kemp 1,XD,0,1=2 (4)
Troy Batchelor 2,1,1,0=4 (4)
Sam McGurk 0,0,RS,0,RS=0 (3)
Paul Starke 3,0,0,3,1',0=7+1 (6)
.
Ht 1: R.Lawson, C.Cook, J.Edwards, S.Hagon 3-3 3-3 [58.88]
Ht 2: P.Starke, T.Thomsen, B.Trigger, S.McGurk 3-3 6-6 [60.65]
Ht 3: B.Cook, Z.Cook, D.Kemp, A.Vuolas 5-1 11-7 [59.47]
Ht 4: T.Brennan, T.Batchelor, B.Trigger, P.Starke 4-2 15-9 [59.5]
Ht 5: B.Cook, Z.Cook, J.Edwards, S.McGurk 5-1 20-10 [60.22]
Ht 6: R.Lawson, S.Hagon, T.Batchelor, P.Starke 5-1 25-11 [60,22]
Ht 7: T.Brennan, A.Vuolas, T.Thomsen, D.Kemp[exc] 4-2 29-13 [awd]
Ht 8: P.Starke, J.Edwards, B.Trigger, S.Hagon 1-5 30-18 [61.81]
Ht 9: B.Cook, Z.Cook, T.Batchelor, S.McGurk 5-1 35-19 [60.53]
Ht 10: R.Lawson, A.Vuolas, S.Hagon, D.Kemp 4-2 39-21 [60.59]
Ht 11: T.Brennan, J.Edwards, T.Thomsen, C.Cook [rtd] 4-2 43-23 [60.5]
Ht 12: T.Thomsen, A.Vuolas, P.Starke, B.Cook [rtd] 3-3 46-26 [62.5]
Ht 13: R.Lawson, T.Brennan, C.Cook, T.Batchelor 5-1 51-27 [60.81]
Ht 14: Z.Cook, T.Thomsen, D.Kemp, P.Starke 5-1 56-28 [61.63]
Ht 15: C.Cook, T.Brennan, R.Lawson, A.Vuolas 3-3 59-31 [60.31]

SGB Referee Mr David Watters
WORKINGTON won toss and chose gates 1&3 | POOLE choose gates 1&3 in heat 15