EASTBOURNE 50 POOLE 40

Pirates came away empty-handed from Eastbourne reflecting on what might have been had they not incurred so many falls on a night they went down by a score of 40-50.

It was a frustrating evening for the Pirates who were grateful for a rained-off meeting at Rye House that allowed Edward Kennett to answer a guest call. And the former Arlington rider certainly kept the Pirate ship afloat, but when he crashed out in heat 15 so too did the chances of Poole stealing a consolation point.

Although the first to open an advantage when Darcy Ward stormed from the tapes in heat one and Kennett proved too strong for Lahti, the Pirates were behind after a reserves 5-1 for the Eagles, but were able to level things up with a Janowski win and Shamek Pawlicki collecting what was to be his only point of the night.

The Eagles edged ahead as Kennett after tearing by Blackbird couldn't catch Woodward and Newman was unable to find a way to improve on his last place. Former Poole boys scott Nicholls and Bjarne Pedersen were both looking for ways by Pawlicki in the first staging of heat 5 in which Pawlicki failed to master the exit of turn 4 properly, got himself out of shape and was then edged out by Nicholls. The fallen Pawlicki was disqualifed and the Eagles pair cruised to maximum points in the re-run.

Ward and Janowski instantly redressed the balance and then Grajczonek ensured a share of the points in heat 7 with a win over Lahti and Halsey.  Another fall for Pawlicki restricted Poole's points in heat 8 to just the three for Kennett's fine win and hopes rose of eradicating the 2 point defict when Blackbird made a total mess of leaving turn 2 and fell, just as Newman had switched to the inside to take up the running. Blackbird was disqualified from the re-start but former Bournemouth Buccaneer Daniel Halsey broke Poole fans' hearts when he stormed from the tapes to maintain the Eagles lead.

Fall number three went Pawlicki's way, in an indentical place as fall twoand with Janowski unable to impress on Pedersen and Lahti the home side began to pull away again. Heat 11 saw a very tight first turn with Ward getting a little twisted as he tried to power off the turn. He lost some momentum and position and was reduced to playing catch up as Nicholls and Kylmakorpi went clear. On lap 3 Ward again got into trouble, this time unable to save the fall and referee Dale Entwhistle hit the red lights and awarded the heat.

Just as the meeting seemed to be slipping away though Kennett and Newman stepped up to the plate for the Pirates and both battled their way by Blackbird to give Poole a 5-1 and reduce the difference between the two sides to six points.

Pedersen avenged for his opening  heat defeat at the hands of Ward by leading him home in heat 13, Janowski just holding on from a fast approaching Nicholls on the final lap to share the heat. Poole's hopes of stealing victory on the night were blighted when Grajczonek was disqualified for allegedly causing Halsey to come adrift from his machine and whilst Newman worked hard in the re-run he could only split the Eagles who moved eight points clear.

Ward and Kennett needed a heat gain from the final race but when Kennett was left with no option other than to bale out, although referee Entwhistle was clear in his mind that it did not warrant a re-run and the race allowed to continue with Kennett scurrying from the track.

Eastbourne 50
B. Pedersen 2,2',3,3,3=13+1
T. Lahti 0,2,2',0=4+1
J. Kylmakorpi 2,1,1',2'=6+2
C. Woodward 3,0,2,3=8
S. Nicholls 0,3,3,0,1=7
L. Blackbird 3,1,FDq,1=5
D. Halsey 2',1',3,1=7+2

Poole 40
D. Ward 3,3,FDq,2,2=10
E. Kennett 1,2,3,3,F=9
P. Pawlicki 1,FDq,F,F=1
J. Grajczonek 1,3,1,Dq=5
M. Janowski 3,2',1,1'=7+2
B. Johnson 0,0,1'=1+1
K. Newman 1,0,2,2',2=7+1

Ht 1 D. Ward B. Pedersen E. Kennett T. Lahti 2-4 (2-4) (55.8)
Ht 2 L. Blackbird D. Halsey K. Newman B. Johnson 5-1 (7-5) (58.5)
Ht 3 M. Janowski J. Kylmakorpi P. Pawlicki S. Nicholls 2-4 (9-9) (57.7)
Ht 4 C. Woodward E. Kennett L. Blackbird K. Newman 4-2 (13-11) (56.6)
Ht 5 S. Nicholls B. Pedersen J. Grajczonek P. Pawlicki (Fell d/q) 5-1 (18-12) (56.9)
Ht 6 D. Ward M. Janowski J. Kylmakorpi C. Woodward 1-5 (19-17) (57.2)
Ht 7 J. Grajczonek T. Lahti D. Halsey B. Johnson 3-3 (22-20) (58)
Ht 8 E. Kennett C. Woodward J. Kylmakorpi P. Pawlicki (Fell) 3-3 (25-23) (56.9)
Ht 9 D. Halsey K. Newman B. Johnson L. Blackbird (Fell d/q) 3-3 (28-26) (58.7)
Ht 10 B. Pedersen T. Lahti M. Janowski P. Pawlicki (Fell) 5-1 (33-27) (56.9)
Ht 11 S. Nicholls J. Kylmakorpi J. Grajczonek D. Ward (Fell d/q) 5-1 (38-28) (awd)
Ht 12 E. Kennett K. Newman L. Blackbird T. Lahti 1-5 (39-33) (59.2)
Ht 13 B. Pedersen D. Ward M. Janowski S. Nicholls 3-3 (42-36) (57.2)
Ht 14 C. Woodward K. Newman D. Halsey J. Grajczonek(D/Q) 4-2 (46-38) (58.7)
Ht 15 B. Pedersen D. Ward S. Nicholls E. Kennett (Fell) 4-2 (50-40) ()

Referee Dale Entwhistle
Gates: Eastbourne won toss and chose gates 1&3 in heat 1. Poole took 1&3 in heat 15