BELLE VUE 54 POOLE 38

2014 has been barren in Manchester as far as league points are concerned for the Poole Coastal Aluminium Pirates as they struggled to find any answers to the Belle Vue Aces for the second time this season.

The Aces had Craig Cook (paid 13) and Matej Zagar (paid 11), both warming up for the British Grand Prix this coming week, in fine form, whilst the Pirates' representative at Cardiff, skipper Darcy Ward, took an awkward second ride fall that clearly hampered his riding style for the rest of the evening.

After four drawn heats the Aces pulled ahead through a Cook and Zagar 5-1 over Przemyslaw Pawlicki and Vaclav Milik and so the Pirates were looking for a big response in heat 6 as Janowski and ward both first time out winneers paired up.

But Aces captain Scott Nicholls set the early pace and after a lap of Janowski trying to probe an opening, Ward took up the chase as he dived into turn three on the second circuit.

A heavy fall as he spreadeagled into the safety fence earned an instant disqualification. The Aces gained a further two points on their visitors, who were grateful in the next heat for an impressive winning ride from Milik to prevent any further slippage.

A puncture sustained by Nicholls in heat 8 allowed Poole to share the points behind Aces' guest Max Fricke but a disqualification in heat 9 for Poole's stand-in Adam Ellis, covering for the injured Kyle Newman left the Pirates exposed in heat 9 as Ben Hopwood gallantly pushed home for a point after an engine failure ended his chances of trying to catch Lee Payne.

A tactical ride was thwarted through an excellent wide overtake by Zagar on the black and white helmeted Pawlicki but the Pirates still benefitted by two points to bring the deficit to 8 points after 10 heats.

Milik's form in heat 11 was encouraging but with Ward struggling round turn 1 Poole couldn't erode any further into the margin, and when Grajczonek packed up on the start line in heat 12 the Pirates' sorry night was all but complete.

Hopes of any consolation point were fully extinguished when Cook and Zagar delivered another maximum heat score from heat 13 and whilst Milik, with his third win of the night was partnered to a 4-2 by Ellis the result was well beyond the Pirates

Belle Vue 54
M. Zagar 2,2',3,2'=9+2
M. Palm-Toft 1',2,0,3=6+1
S. Nicholls 2,3,R,2,1=8
M. Fricke 2,1,3,2=8
C. Cook 1',3,1',3,3=11+2
S. Nielsen 3,1',3,2'=9+2
L. Payne 0,1',2',0=3+2
POOLE 38
D. Ward 3,FDq,0,1=4
J. Grajczonek 0,3,1',R=4+1
P. Pawlicki 0,1,2,4,2=9
V. Milik 0,3,3,3,0=9
M. Janowski 3,2,1',0=6+1
B. Hopwood 2,0,1=3
A. Ellis 1',0,FDq,1,1=3+1

Ht 1 D. Ward M. Zagar M. Palm-Toft J. Grajczonek 3-3 (3-3) (59.6)
Ht 2 S. Nielsen B. Hopwood A. Ellis L. Payne 3-3 (6-6) (62.1)
Ht 3 M. Janowski S. Nicholls C. Cook P. Pawlicki 3-3 (9-9) (60)
Ht 4 J. Grajczonek M. Fricke S. Nielsen A. Ellis 3-3 (12-12) (60.4)
Ht 5 C. Cook M. Zagar P. Pawlicki V. Milik 5-1 (17-13) (60.1)
Ht 6 S. Nicholls M. Janowski M. Fricke D. Ward (Fell d/q) 4-2 (21-15) (60.5)
Ht 7 V. Milik M. Palm-Toft L. Payne B. Hopwood 3-3 (24-18) (60.8)
Ht 8 M. Fricke P. Pawlicki J. Grajczonek S. Nicholls (Rtd) 3-3 (27-21) (60.9)
Ht 9 S. Nielsen L. Payne B. Hopwood A. Ellis (Fell d/q) 5-1 (32-22) (61.5)
Ht 10 M. Zagar P. Pawlicki M. Janowski M. Palm-Toft 3-5 (35-27) (59.9)
Ht 11 V. Milik S. Nicholls C. Cook D. Ward 3-3 (38-30) (60.1)
Ht 12 M. Palm-Toft S. Nielsen A. Ellis J. Grajczonek (Rtd) 5-1 (43-31) (60.4)
Ht 13 C. Cook M. Zagar D. Ward M. Janowski 5-1 (48-32) (60.2)
Ht 14 V. Milik M. Fricke A. Ellis L. Payne 2-4 (50-36) (61.2)
Ht 15 C. Cook P. Pawlicki S. Nicholls V. Milik 4-2 (54-38) (61.2)

Referee M Breckon
Gates: Belle Vue won toss and took 1&3 in heat 1. Poole took 2&4 in heat 15
Elite League points: Belle Vue 3 Poole 0