RESULT - LEICESTER 45 POOLE 45

For the second time this season the VOLVO CARS POOLE PIRATES saw their opponents claim a last heat advantage to deny the Pirates victory, as their visit to Leicester ended in a SGB Premiership draw.

Just as they had surrendered a heat 14 lead at Swindon earlier in the campaign, so the Pirates saw the match scores levelled when they lost out in heat 15. This time the home side, Leicester, through Danny King and Kim Nilsson, wiped out a four point deficit as they frustrated Hans Andersen's early brave attempts to sneak around the kerb off turn 2. The route for the Poole skipper was blocked and whilst debutant Grzegorz Zengota then saw a chance to try and break the Lions partnership it too ended in frustration and the home pair stood firm to protect the advantage and gain a league point.

In fairness neither side were really able to stamp their authority on this meeting. The Lions were first to break the deadlock when guest reserves Mark Riss and Jack Smith combined over the strongly fancied Nicolai Klindt and James Shanes combination to claim an early 5-1 in heat 2 and it took a couple of patient heats before Poole could regain parity on the affair.

Andersen's solid beating of Danny King - the British champion even being held back for a three quarters of a lap by Shanes in heat 4 and guest Rory Schlein - showing good pace not only to win heat 5 but to snatch the newly established track record of 61.31 from Nilsson from heat one with a time of 61.18 saw the match squared and when the Danish duo of Klindt and Andersen crossed the line for a heat 6 maximum over Nilsson and Riss Poole were at last ahead.

King expertly picked Schlein's pocket in  heat 7 to prevent any further widening of the score differential and an untimely retirement for Klindt before he had chance to mount a challenge on Bjerre and Riss proved costly as the Lions squared things up, despite Shanes' valiant efforts to pursue. 

Josh Grajczonek frustrated the Pirates as he got in between the Danes in heat 9 but Kyle Newman produced a stunning move to overtake the Aussie in heat 10 for second place but Nilsson's win saw Leicester  level the meeting again. Zengota celebrated his first Poole race win with a comprehensive win over Danny King  as Poole crept ahead again through Newman's third place. It was a similar finish for the busy Newman in heat 12 as Poole doubled their lead with Klindt overpowering Lasse Bjerre.

Andersen could only divide the Lions in heat 13 and with Grajczonek finishing between Klindt and Schlein the meeting headed for the last heat decider, Poole just needing a second place to confirm the win.

The Lions pair stood firm though and the home fans were left relieved, the visitors dejected.

LEICESTER 45
K. Nilsson 3,1,3,3,2'=12+1
R. Replacement
L. Bjerre 3,2,3,0,2=10
J. Grajczonek F,R,2,1,2=5
D. King 2,3,2,1,3=11
M. Riss 0,3,0,2',0,0,0=5+1
J. Smith 2',0,0=2+1
 
POOLE 45
G. Zengota 2,1,3,0,1=7
R. Replacement 
K. Newman 1',1',2,1,1=6+2
R. Schlein 2,3,2,0,1=8
H. Andersen 3,2',3,2,0=10+1
N. Klindt 1',1,3,R,1,3,3=12+1
J. Shanes 0,1,1=2

Ht 1 K. Nilsson G. Zengota N. Klindt (RR) M. Riss (RR) 3-3 (3-3) (61.31)
Ht 2 M. Riss J. Smith N. Klindt J. Shanes 5-1 (8-4) (62.19)
Ht 3 L. Bjerre R. Schlein K. Newman J. Grajczonek (Fell) 3-3 (11-7) (61.94)
Ht 4 H. Andersen D. King J. Shanes J. Smith 2-4 (13-11) (61.75)
Ht 5 R. Schlein (RR) L. Bjerre G. Zengota J. Grajczonek (Rtd) 2-4 (15-15) (61.18)
Ht 6 N. Klindt H. Andersen K. Nilsson M. Riss (RR) 1-5 (16-20) (61.25)
Ht 7 D. King R. Schlein K. Newman J. Smith 3-3 (19-23) (61.57)
Ht 8 L. Bjerre (RR) M. Riss J. Shanes N. Klindt (Rtd) 5-1 (24-24) (62.31)
Ht 9 H. Andersen J. Grajczonek N. Klindt L. Bjerre 2-4 (26-28) (62.18)
Ht 10 K. Nilsson K. Newman J. Grajczonek (RR) R. Schlein 4-2 (30-30) (62.06)
Ht 11 G. Zengota D. King K. Newman (RR) M. Riss 2-4 (32-34) (61.62)
Ht 12 N. Klindt L. Bjerre K. Newman M. Riss 2-4 (34-38) (61.57)
Ht 13 K. Nilsson H. Andersen D. King G. Zengota 4-2 (38-40) (61.20)
Ht 14 N. Klindt J. Grajczonek R. Schlein M. Riss 2-4 (40-44) (61.38)
Ht 15 D. King K. Nilsson G. Zengota H. Andersen 5-1 (45-45) (61.69)

Referee Margaret Vardy
Gates: POOLE won toss and deferred choice of gates and LEICESTER chose 1&3 in heat 1. POOLE took gates 1&3 in heat 15
LEICESTER 1 league point POOLE 2 league points
Rider of the Night: Hans Andersen