RESULT: POOLE 52 COVENTRY 38

Hosting the homeless Coventry Bees in a challenge fixture the VOLVO CARS POOLE Pirates proved too strong for their visitors in this entertaining meeting.

With little to choose between the two sides over the course of the early exchanges the Pirates collected five heat advantages over the space of the final six heats to register a 52-38 triumph. Both Brady Kurtz - unbeaten from his programmed rides for a second successive week at Wimborne Road - and skipper Hans Andersen bagged 13 points a-piece for the Pirates as no visitor managed to accrue double figures.

Guest Bee, Chris Harris, such a past regular for visiting Coventry sides had a costly start to the meeting, shattering an engine casing across the start line in heat 4 before going on to register four second places. Current British champion Danny King began with a fine win but then struggled to maintain that impact even after getting an absolute flying start in heat 13. So sharp away was he that everyone, Krzysztof Kasprzak included, was expecting the stop lights to come on, but despite the advantage gained at the start it was not enough to hold out a determined ride from Andersen which ensured Poole would at least gain a draw.

That outcome was quickly converted into a guaranteed home win when through Kurtz and a batling Nicolai Klindt Poole recorded their solitary maximum heat win.

POOLE 52
K. Kasprzak 1',3,1',R=5+2
J. Holder 2,1,3,2=8
L. Kerr F,FD,1,3=4
B. Kurtz 3,3,3,3,1=13
H. Andersen 2,2,3,3,3=13
N. Klindt 3,R,1,2'=6+1
J. Shanes 1,1',0,1=3+1

COVENTRY 38
D. King 3,1',0,1',0=5+2
S. Nielsen 0,2,1',2=5+1
J. Garrity 2,1,0,2=5
L. Bjerre 1',3,3,1=8+1
C. Harris R,2,2,2,2=8
J. Sarjeant 2,0,0,0=2
J. Bates 0,3,2,0=5

Ht 1 D. King J. Holder K. Kasprzak S. Nielsen 3-3 (3-3) (59.5)
Ht 2 N. Klindt J. Sarjeant J. Shanes J. Bates 4-2 (7-5) (60.46)
Ht 3 B. Kurtz J. Garrity L. Bjerre L. Kerr (Fell) 3-3 (10-8) (60.5)
Ht 4 J. Bates H. Andersen J. Shanes C. Harris (Rtd) 3-3 (13-11) (60.57)
Ht 5 B. Kurtz S. Nielsen D. King L. Kerr (Fell d/q) 3-3 (16-14) (60.87)
Ht 6 K. Kasprzak C. Harris J. Holder J. Sarjeant 4-2 (20-16) (60.47)
Ht 7 L. Bjerre H. Andersen J. Garrity N. Klindt (Rtd) 2-4 (22-20) (61.4)
Ht 8 J. Holder J. Bates S. Nielsen J. Shanes 3-3 (25-23) (61.75)
Ht 9 B. Kurtz C. Harris L. Kerr J. Sarjeant 4-2 (29-25) (60.65)
Ht 10 L. Bjerre J. Holder K. Kasprzak J. Garrity 3-3 (32-28) (61.75)
Ht 11 H. Andersen S. Nielsen N. Klindt D. King 4-2 (36-30) (60.62)
Ht 12 L. Kerr J. Garrity J. Shanes J. Sarjeant 4-2 (40-32) (61.03)
Ht 13 H. Andersen C. Harris D. King K. Kasprzak (Rtd) 3-3 (43-35) (60.69)
Ht 14 B. Kurtz N. Klindt L. Bjerre J. Bates 5-1 (48-36) (61.09)
Ht 15 H. Andersen C. Harris B. Kurtz D. King 4-2 (52-38) (61.03)

Referee Dave Robinson
Gates: COVENTRY win toss and take gates 1&3 POOLE take gates 1&3 in heat 15
Rider of the Night: Hans Andersen

ON CAMERA....

Lewis Kerr, who has signed to ride for both clubs in 2017 ends up sitting on the fence.....literally!   Action captured by Mick Hinves (c)