COVENTRY 47 PIRATES 46

Poole ReadyPower Pirates saw a brght, encouraging start to this meeting finish in heart-break in the most dramatic of circumstances as Chris Harris saved the day for the home side.

With back to back 5-1 heat advantages both masterminded by Poole reserve Adam Ellis (the first as a rider replacement for the flu-ridden Brady Kurtz) the Pirates got off to the best possible of starts and with two more race winners, including a third 5-1 before the home side could boast a race winner, the visitors looked hell bent on returning to Dorset with a bounty of league points.

Jason Garrity proved to be that first home star to take a chequered flag in a rerun heat 5 after Krzysztof Buczkowski had taken a heavy fall on the back straight at the first time of asking and was disqualified from the re-run. With Ellis gating well in that re-start and having produced remarkably quick times in the first two heats it was something of a surprise to see both Garrity and Sarjeant work passages by him, the Poole lad choosing to cling too tight to the inside

Poole looked set to counter that reversal in heat 6 as Andersen and Lindgren made all the running but off the final turn Lindgren, guesting for Chris Holder, ran out fuel which caused him to limp across the line behind second place grabber Danny King. The Bees response to falling 10 points behind was to deploy Harris as a tactical ride and he made light work of doubling his score, winning at a canter. Behind him Buczkowski was working hard to try and get by Kasprzak but without success and the Bees radically reduced the deficit.

Poole's response was positive. Newman and Ellis pairing up for a 5-1 before Garrity sprung a surprise win in heat 10.

Ellis hit the deck when trying to split up Harris and King in heat 10 causing another re-run and Lindgren had no answers to prevent the Bees maximising the heat score. A brutal scrap between Garrity and Andersen for third place ended in Andersen over-drifting mid race and with

Kasprzak taking the honours the Bees moved to within a point of the Pirates, as Watt opened his account.

The Bees recovery continued and a 4-2 from Serjeant and Bates over Newman and Ellis in a keenly contested heat 12 the home side found themselves ahead for the first time on the night. It made Lindgren's outside pass of Bomber Harris that much sweeter, and significant as it kept the Pirates on course, particularly with Andersen holding off Kasprzak at the back.

The last thing the Pirates wanted was a heat defeat in 14 but King and Bates triumphed for the jubilant home side and suddenly there was a danger that Poole could go home pointless after all if they were to concede another 5-1 in the final heat. Equally they would have clinched victory with a 5-1 of their own and Andersen and Lindgren looked set to deliver that after Lindgren had twice seen off Harris - until the Swede suffered a puncture on the final turn and Harris breezed by him to complete a remarkable comeback for the Bees.

COVENTRY 47
K. Kasprzak 0,2',3,0=5+1
J. Garrity 1,3,1,3,1,0=9
D. King 1',2,2',3=8+2
R. Replacement =0
C. Harris 2,6,3,2,2=15
J. Sarjeant 0,1,2',0,0,3=6+1
J. Bates 1,F,R,1,2'=4+1
POOLE 46
F. Lindgren 2',1,1,3,1=8+1
R. Replacement =0
D. Watt 0,0,2,R=2
K. Buczkowski 3,FD,1,2,1=7
H. Andersen 3,3,0,1,3=10
A. Ellis 3,3,1,2',FD,0=9+1
K. Newman 2',2',3,1',2=10+3

Ht 1 A. Ellis F. Lindgren J. Garrity K. Kasprzak 1-5 (1-5) (59.7)
Ht 2 A. Ellis K. Newman J. Bates J. Sarjeant 1-5 (2-10) (59.7)
Ht 3 H. Andersen C. Harris D. King D. Watt 3-3 (5-13) (59.7)
Ht 4 K. Buczkowski K. Newman J. Sarjeant J. Bates (Fell) 1-5 (6-18) (60.5)
Ht 5 J. Garrity J. Sarjeant A. Ellis K. Buczkowski (Fell d/q) 5-1 (11-19) (60.3)
Ht 6 H. Andersen D. King F. Lindgren J. Sarjeant 2-4 (13-23) (60.3)
Ht 7 C. Harris (TR) K. Kasprzak K. Buczkowski D. Watt 8-1 (21-24) (58.7)
Ht 8 K. Newman A. Ellis J. Garrity J. Bates (Rtd) 1-5 (22-29) (60.8)
Ht 9 J. Garrity K. Buczkowski K. Newman J. Sarjeant 3-3 (25-32) (60)
Ht 10 C. Harris D. King F. Lindgren A. Ellis (Fell d/q) 5-1 (30-33) (60)
Ht 11 K. Kasprzak D. Watt J. Garrity H. Andersen 4-2 (34-35) (60.6)
Ht 12 J. Sarjeant K. Newman J. Bates A. Ellis 4-2 (38-37) (61.8)
Ht 13 F. Lindgren C. Harris H. Andersen K. Kasprzak 2-4 (40-41) (60.6)
Ht 14 D. King J. Bates K. Buczkowski D. Watt (Rtd) 5-1 (45-42) ()
Ht 15 H. Andersen C. Harris F. Lindgren J. Garrity 2-4 (47-46) ()

Referee Mick Posselwhite
Gates: Coventry on gates 1&3. Poole on 2&4 in heat 15