BELLE VUE 51 POOLE 39

No strangers to strong finishes themselves the Poole Coastal Aluminium Pirates saw their unbeaten start to the season come to an end as hosts Belle Vue fired in three consecutive 5-1 heat scores to close the meeting out and produce a scoreline that belittled the Pirates' efforts.

Whilst Aces' Captain Cook went through the card unbeaten by a Pirate, Poole's skipper Maciej Janowski 'love affair' with the Belle Vue circuit never improved. Janowski had failed to score from three rides on his last visit to Manchester and with a fall and a heat 6 last place to his name he was again struggling to find the winning groove. But when he and fellow Pole Przemyslaw Pawlicki partnered up for a second time it looked for certain that they had delivered the goods and held off the intense interests of the previously unbeaten Matej Zagar.

But when the result was announced it was met with a stunned silence and much head turning towards the referee's gantry as in the eyes of the SCB official Willie Dishington Zagar's efforts had been strong enough just to get up on the line and snatch second place from the team riding Pirates.

It was a crucial decision as the visitors had just levelled the meeting after dual guests Charles Wright and Oliver Greenwood had paired up for Poole in heat 9 to claim maximum points. Had Poole been given that second successive maximum score it would have given them a little bit of breathing space but with the Aces, through Nicholls and Cook, leading Holder and Milik a merry dance in heat 11 the home side restored their meeting lead, only for Grajczonek and Greenwood to square the scores off again in heat 12.

But then that strong finish, aided by Milik's unfortunate fall in heat 14 whilst laying chase to Richie Worrall, enabled the Aces to bank all three league points and send the Pirates home empty handed.

BELLE VUE 51
M. Zagar 3,3,2,2',2'=12+2
M. Palm-Toft 2',2,0,0=4+1
S. Nicholls 1,3,2,3=9
R. Worrall 2,1,0,3=6
C. Cook 3,2',2',3,3=13+2
S. Nielsen 2,0,1,2,2'=7+1
B. Reade 0,0,0=0

POOLE 39
C. Holder 1,2,1,0=4
J. Grajczonek 0,3,1,3,1=8
P. Pawlicki 2,1,3,3,0=9
V. Milik 0,3,0,FDq=3
M. Janowski F,0,1,1=2
C. Wright 3,1,3,1=8
O. Greenwood 1,1,2',1=5+1

Ht 1 M. Zagar M. Palm-Toft C. Holder J. Grajczonek 5-1 (5-1) (59.5)
Ht 2 C. Wright S. Nielsen O. Greenwood B. Reade 2-4 (7-5) (61.5)
Ht 3 C. Cook P. Pawlicki S. Nicholls M. Janowski (Fell) 4-2 (11-7) (60.2)
Ht 4 J. Grajczonek R. Worrall O. Greenwood S. Nielsen 2-4 (13-11) (60.8)
Ht 5 M. Zagar C. Cook P. Pawlicki V. Milik 5-1 (18-12) (59.1)
Ht 6 S. Nicholls C. Holder R. Worrall M. Janowski 4-2 (22-14) (59.9)
Ht 7 V. Milik M. Palm-Toft C. Wright B. Reade 2-4 (24-18) (60.9)
Ht 8 P. Pawlicki S. Nicholls J. Grajczonek R. Worrall 2-4 (26-22) (60.6)
Ht 9 C. Wright O. Greenwood S. Nielsen B. Reade 1-5 (27-27) (61.3)
Ht 10 P. Pawlicki M. Zagar M. Janowski M. Palm-Toft 2-4 (29-31) (61.4)
Ht 11 S. Nicholls C. Cook C. Holder V. Milik 5-1 (34-32) (60.7)
Ht 12 J. Grajczonek S. Nielsen O. Greenwood M. Palm-Toft 2-4 (36-36) (61.5)
Ht 13 C. Cook M. Zagar M. Janowski C. Holder 5-1 (41-37) (60.1)
Ht 14 R. Worrall S. Nielsen C. Wright V. Milik (Fell d/q) 5-1 (46-38) (Awd)
Ht 15 C. Cook M. Zagar J. Grajczonek P. Pawlicki 5-1 (51-39) (60.8)

Referee: Mr Willie Dishington
Gates: Poole  won toss and took gates 1&3.  Belle Vue took 2&4 in heat 15