RESULT: POOLE 54 V SWINDON 36

With a central character of Mr Darcy, plenty of  (Pirate) Pride and a result that ultimately could well have Prejudiced Swindon's play-off aspirations this classic was all about a rampant Poole team inspired by former captain Chris Holder from the very outset.

The estranged 'Turbo Twins' (Holder and Darcy Ward) met in the opening heat and despite trying to recall the quickest way round the Poole circuit Ward couldn't prevent his old teammate from taking the chequered flag much to the delight of the biggest Wimborne Road crowd of the season.

Holder's race win was certainly a marker and the Poole boys, rallying to calls from the club management to maintain their push for top spot ahead of the play-offs, conceded just two heat defeats throughout.

For the third successive home meeting skipper Maciej Janowski went through the card unbeaten and if Holder's win over Ward was inspirational, then Janowski's heat 10 exploits were emphatic.
He roared from the tapes and with partner Dakota North in the mix holding the traffic up for the early part Janowski just powered further and further into the distance. That came at the stage when Poole moved into a double figure lead and Robins' boss Alun Rossiter rolled the dice and put guest Hans Andersen on a tactical ride. But rampant Holder and fellow Aussie Dave Watt were  far too determined to let this advantage slip and provided the first of a hat-trick of 5-1 advantages as the racing intensified.

Arguably the best race for many a while unfolded in heat 12 when Kyle Newman, (harshly disqualified earlier when involved in an incident with Charles Wright),  Paul Starke and Charles Wright traded places intensely for three full laps. The race was gearing up to be an impossible one to call when, as three abreast they hit the first turn for the final circuit, Wright found himself squeezed out and went crashing down. It was an anti-climax to a sensational race, one worth the admission price alone, but then further value for money was to follow in heat 13.

Holder found an early route by Batchelor and Janowski was determined not to be overshadowed and took a little longer but soon blitzed by his counterpart captain to secure the destiny of the league points.

Andersen finished the night with back-to-back heat wins to deny Poole any hope of making a 60 score for the third successive home meeting, whilst Ward won the final battle against Holder, the current Poole man pulling up with a lap to go.

POOLE 54
C. Holder 3,2',3,3,R=11+1
D. Watt 1,3,3,2'=9+1
D. North 0,0,1,2,1=4
K. Gomolski 3,1,3,1'=8+1
M. Janowski 3,3,3,2'=11+1
P. Starke 1,1,1,0,3=6
K. Newman 3,FD,2'=5+1
Swindon 36
D. Ward 2,2',2,R,2'=8+2
E. Krcmar 0,FD,2,0=2
H. Andersen 2,0,1,3,3=9
G. Zengota 2,1,2,0=5
T. Batchelor 1',3,0,1=5+1
C. Wright 2,2,1',1',FD=6+2
D. Ritchings 0,0,1=1

Ht 1 C. Holder D. Ward D. Watt E. Krcmar 4-2 (4-2) (58.9)
Ht 2 K. Newman C. Wright P. Starke D. Ritchings 4-2 (8-4) (60.75)
Ht 3 M. Janowski H. Andersen T. Batchelor D. North 3-3 (11-7) (59.9)
Ht 4 K. Gomolski G. Zengota P. Starke D. Ritchings 4-2 (15-9) (60.88)
Ht 5 D. Watt C. Wright P. Starke E. Krcmar (Fell d/q) 4-2 (19-11) (60.5)
Ht 6 T. Batchelor D. Ward K. Gomolski D. North 1-5 (20-16) (60.19)
Ht 7 M. Janowski C. Holder G. Zengota H. Andersen 5-1 (25-17) (59.84)
Ht 8 K. Gomolski E. Krcmar C. Wright K. Newman (Fell d/q) 3-3 (28-20) (60.81)
Ht 9 D. Watt G. Zengota C. Wright P. Starke 3-3 (31-23) (60.5)
Ht 10 M. Janowski D. Ward D. North E. Krcmar 4-2 (35-25) (59.57)
Ht 11 C. Holder D. Watt H. Andersen (TR) T. Batchelor 5-1 (40-26) (59.62)
Ht 12 P. Starke K. Newman D. Ritchings C. Wright (Fell d/q) 5-1 (45-27) ()
Ht 13 C. Holder M. Janowski T. Batchelor D. Ward (Rtd) 5-1 (50-28) (59.62)
Ht 14 H. Andersen D. North K. Gomolski G. Zengota 3-3 (53-31) (60.78)
Ht 15 H. Andersen D. Ward D. North C. Holder (Rtd) 1-5 (54-36) (60.44)

Referee Anthony Steele
Gates: Swindon win toss and take gates 1&3. Poole take 1&3 in heat 15

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