REDCAR v POOLE - Play-Off Semi-Final 2nd Leg 42-48 Agg 84-96

Poole remain on course for the "Double Treble" as they secured their place in their third final for 2025, beating the Redcar Bears n the SGB Cab Direct Championship Play off semi-final  by 96-84 after two 48-42 triumphs over the Cleveland side.

Poole had a game plan of taking this meeting to the Bears and not delve into the aggregate six point advantage too early, if it all, and Tobias Thomsen carried out the instructions in a determined manner as he was away and gone in the opener. Unfortunately for guest Adam Ellis it was a case of wrong place, wrong time as he became totally filled in and lasted less than a lap on the heavily watered circuit. Ace Pijper was another to be in the wrong place, when in heat two he had little or no room navigating the first turn causing the race to be stopped and somewhat harshly refused to be allowed back for the re-run. William Cairns and Paul Starke weren't quite as quick off the start second time around and indeed heading to the turn Jack Smith had a wheel in front. But the Pirates picked him off, he spun out but remounted for a point as Poole went into a four point lead on the night. Bears' guest, Jake Allen was away and gone in heat three but Lewi Kerr and Zach Cook were more than content to share the heat and not allow Jason Edwards any opportunity to make headway. A twisting and turning Anders Rowe muscled his way to the front in heat four, partnered ably by Cairns but on the second lap Danny King forced his way between the pair. He did so however by driving under Cairns, in a move which was deemed unfair as Cairns went down and the race halted with King's exclusion light on. Pijper, who had not been at the party in the initial start, made it second time around but Rowe had the beating of him and a further two points were added to Poole's lead. Edwards looked sharper in his second ride and held out Ellis, who had spent the time in the pits cleaning his bike and himself from the caked on shale of heat one, whilst Thomsen couldn't find the speed he had in that opener, so Redcar banked their first heat advantage (13-17 agg 55-65).

With one heat gain under their belt, Redcar looked set for a full comeback as Charles Wright and Jake Mulford claimed a 5-1, Mulford blocking every move that Rowe mustered. But Kerr haulted the mini-revival, leading home King with Cook in third, then Cairns and Thomsen dominated heat eight proceedings, restoring that earlier six point second leg gain. Allen seemed to come from nowhere to outwit Rowe in heat nine and establish another home 4-2, but that was immediately countered when Cook made a super gate and was rapidly joined at the front by Kerr. In all honesty, Cook didn't look too comfortable as track conditions began to dry out, but, in second place,  he managed to command his machine and keep himself far enough ahead of a battling Wright, and an atmosphere of resignation began to permeate from the Redcar faithful. (26-34 agg 68-82).

There was no stopping Ellis in heat eleven, as King found to his cost but Thomsen was unable to settle the tie as he trailed Smith. Likewise, Kerr and the introduced Cairns (for Starke) also came up short of the three points required to guarantee qualification as they finished behind Edwards and Pijper respectively in heat twelve. But, in the fastest time of the meeting, Ellis triumphed over the Wright and King heat thirteen pairing which set up the final against Glasgow. It might have been job done but Cook didn't relent in heat fourteen whilst Starke threw everything he had into it to try and improve on his last place. Ellis made something of a reckless move on Allen in the first running of heat fifteen and earned a disqualification for his efforts but Kerr completed a fine night's work on a track he makes no bones about that he loves riding, to close the meeting out with a shared heat and match the totals of the first leg 48-42 in favour of treble seeking Poole. An aggregate result of 96-84.

REDCAR 42
Charles Wright 2,3,1,2=8 (4)
Jake Mulford 1',2',0,0=3+2 (4)
Jason Edwards 0,3,1,3,2=9 (5)
Jake Allen 3,1,3,2,1'=10+1 (5)
Danny King X0,2,2,1'=5+1 (4)
Jack Smith 1,0,1',1'=3+2 (4)
Ace Pijper FD,2,1,1=4 (4)
.
POOLE 48
Adam Ellis R,2,3,3,X0=8 (5)
Tobias Thomsen 3,0,2',0=5+1 (4)
Lewis Kerr 2,3,3,2,3=13 (5)
Zach Cook 1',1,2',3=7+2 (4)
Anders Rowe 3,1,2,0=6 (4)
Paul Starke 2',0,0,RS,0=2+1 (4)
William Cairns 3,1,3,0,RS=7 (4)
.
Ht 1:  T.Thomsen, C.Wright, J.Mulford, A.Ellis [rtd] 3-3 3-3 [55.15]
Ht 2:  W.Cairns, P.Starke, J.Smith, A.Pijper [fell exc] 1-5 4-8 [56.1]
Ht 3:  J.Allen, L.Kerr, Z.Cook, J.Edwards 3-3 7-11 [55.6]
Ht 4:  A.Rowe, A.Pijper, W.Cairns, D.King [exc] 2-4 9-15 [56.8]
Ht 5:  J.Edwards, A.Ellis, J.Allen, T.Thomsen 4-2 13-17 [55.3]
Ht 6:  C.Wright, J.Mulford, A.Rowe, P.Starke 5-1 18-18 [55.8]
Ht 7:  L.Kerr, D.King, Z.Cook, J.Smith 2-4 20-22 [55.5]
Ht 8:  W.Cairns, T.Thomsen, A.Pijper, J.Mulford 1-5 21-27 [56.3]
Ht 9:  J.Allen, A.Rowe, J.Edwards, P.Starke 4-2 25-29 [55.4]
Ht 10:  L.Kerr, Z.Cook, C.Wright, J.Mulford 1-5 26-34 [55]
Ht 11:  A.Ellis, D.King, J.Smith, T.Thomsen 3-3 29-37 [55.1]
Ht 12:  J.Edwards, L.Kerr, A.Pijper, W.Cairns 4-2 33-39 [56.4]
Ht 13:  A.Ellis, C.Wright, D.King, A.Rowe 3-3 36-42 [54.9]
Ht 14:  Z.Cook, J.Allen, J.Smith, P.Starke 3-3 39-45 [56.2]
Ht 15:  L.Kerr, J.Edwards, J.Allen, A.Ellis [exc] 3-3 42-48 [56.4]

SGB Referee Mr Paul Carrington 
 Post Meeting Reaction

Photo Credit: Connor Preston