RESULT: LEICESTER 38 PIRATES 52

POOLE 'READY POWER' PIRATES secured top spot in the Elite league ahead of the play-offs with a meeting to spare as they recorded their 7th away win of the campaign and 5th four point haul.

picture courtesy of Steve Dixon

Skipper Maciej Janowski was once again in fine fettle around the Jordan Road Surfacing Stadium, following up his May Bank holiday unbeaten performance with three straight wins before eventually being conquered by Lions' number on Jason Doyle in his final two rides. 

Backing the captain up were the high flying Poole reserves Paul Starke and Kyle Newman both of whom dropped just one point a piece; Starke when headed home by Nicolai Klindt in heat 5 and Newman a heat earlier when Piotr Swiderski took the honours over him., but it was the Poole reserves who had edged the visitors into a lead that they never surrendered with an excellent 5-1 in heat 2 which overturned the Lions' opening 4-2 advantage.

The loss of Grzegorz Walasek in heat 3 when he crashed into Dakota North and sustained a shoulder injury was a pivotal point for the Lions who were in a confident mood having banked their first every away Elite league match just 48 hours previously with a narrow victory at play-off hopefuls King's Lynn.

But the Pirates had winners all round, bar Chris Holder who appears to find the going tough at the Leicestershire venue. Thankfully he suffered nothing more than wounded pride when he fell in heat 10 as he was mounting a challenge for second place on Swiderski in heat 10.

By this time Poole had put themselves into a commanding position with back to back maximums from Watt, disappointing in his first two rides, and Starke in heat 8 and then Gomolski (looking far more accomplished than he had done earlier in the meeting) and Newman.

Ironically though Holder's failure to get by the Pole did the Pirates a favour as the resulting 5-1 advantage to the Lions denied them the opportunity of using Doyle on a tactical in heat 11.

Janowski though would have been up to the task had the black and white been able to use as he claimed the first rubber in a three race combat between the two captains. Poole shed more points when North fell in third causing a re-run in which Janowski was again up to the task of seeing off the Doyle challenge. 

By the time they met again the Pirates were already assured of at least a draw if they provided finsihers in the final three heats, for Newman and Starke had fired in another 5-1 reserve race result to give the Pirates a 12 point cushion. This time Doyle was able to just get the better of Janowski but the win was secured for the Pirates despite Holder's last place. 

All four points were secured courtesy of North and Gomolski in the penultimate heat leaving Doyle to take the edge 2-1 in the battle of those captains in the final heat.

Leicester 38

J. Doyle 3,3,2,3,3=14
N. Klindt 1,0,3,1,1',0=6+1
G. Walasek =0
P. Swiderski 3,R,1,2',R=6+1
S. Wozniak 1,1,3,1,1=7
S. Lambert 1,0,0,0=1
C. Wilkinson 0,1,2,0,1=4
POOLE 52
C. Holder 2,1,FD,0=3
D. Watt 0,1',3,1=5+1
D. North 2',2,FD,3,1'=8+2
K. Gomolski F,0,3,2'=5+1
M. Janowski 3,3,3,2,2=13
P. Starke 2',2,2',3=9+2
K. Newman 3,2,2',2'=9+2

Ht 1 J. Doyle C. Holder N. Klindt D. Watt 4-2 (4-2) (62)
Ht 2 K. Newman P. Starke S. Lambert C. Wilkinson 1-5 (5-7) (63.06)
Ht 3 M. Janowski D. North S. Wozniak N. Klindt 1-5 (6-12) (61.31)
Ht 4 P. Swiderski K. Newman C. Wilkinson K. Gomolski (Fell) 4-2 (10-14) (63.44)
Ht 5 N. Klindt P. Starke D. Watt S. Lambert 3-3 (13-17) (61.19)
Ht 6 M. Janowski C. Wilkinson C. Holder P. Swiderski (Rtd) 2-4 (15-21) (60.94)
Ht 7 J. Doyle D. North S. Wozniak K. Gomolski 4-2 (19-23) (61.68)
Ht 8 D. Watt P. Starke P. Swiderski C. Wilkinson 1-5 (20-28) (63.13)
Ht 9 K. Gomolski K. Newman N. Klindt S. Lambert 1-5 (21-33) (63.69)
Ht 10 S. Wozniak P. Swiderski D. Watt C. Holder (Fell d/q) 5-1 (26-34) (0)
Ht 11 M. Janowski J. Doyle N. Klindt D. North (Fell d/q) 3-3 (29-37) (61.12)
Ht 12 P. Starke K. Newman C. Wilkinson S. Lambert 1-5 (30-42) (63.19)
Ht 13 J. Doyle M. Janowski S. Wozniak C. Holder 4-2 (34-44) (61.75)
Ht 14 D. North K. Gomolski S. Wozniak P. Swiderski (Rtd) 1-5 (35-49) (63.25)
Ht 15 J. Doyle M. Janowski D. North N. Klindt 3-3 (38-52) (61.99)

Referee Phil Griffin
Gates: Leicester won toss and took 1&3. Poole took 1&3 in heat 15
Leicester 0 league points POOLE 4 league points