PIRATES 58 COVENTRY 31

Despite taking four attempts to get the opening heat underway, the Ready Power Pirates wasted little time in confirming their place in their 6th successive Elite league play-off final.

Chris Holder tasted the dirt in the first attempt as he tried in vain to cut over from the outside gate and a re-run with all four riders was ordered. In the re-start a malfunction with the lights left Holder standing as the tapes rose and the third attempt saw Kyle Howarth tangle with tapes. The clean departure came at the fourth try and Dave Watt and Chris Holder quickly stamped their mark on the meeting with a 5-1.

Late replacement Adam Ellis took the honours for the visitors in the reserves heat before Poole's guest Edward Kennett stayed strong under pressure from Chris Harris in the third heat, the Coventry skipper passing his counterpart Janowski to prevent a second 5-1 from the Pirates. Netting two 4-2 advantages in the next two heats the Pirates had to wait until heat 6 before registering that second 5-1 and it came when Harris was sent out in search of double figure return but Kennett and Gomolski had different ideas.

By the halfway stage Poole had extended their lead to a staggering 20 points and still hadn't conceded a last place. In fact that they only suffered two blemishes all night, the first when runaway leader Holder shed a primary chain on the third lap. But partner Watt took the win that kept Poole holding a 20 point lead with just five heats left. Starke and Newman took that lead to 24 with a 5-1 in the second reserves heat and then Holder had further chain problems going into the first turn of heat 13. The Pirates though still produced the winner as skipper Maciej Janowski, having blown his best motor on the stand at the start of the night, added his name to the full list of Poole race winners (or paid).

Gomolski completed an excellent night's work by heading home Andersen in heat 14 before the Bees ended with a consolation race win from a brave and impressive Chris Harris who was largely their only mainstay on what was a disappointing performance from the visitors - made that much harder by a resolute set of Pirates.

POOLE 58
C. Holder 3,3,FD,R=6
D. Watt 2',3,2,3,2=12+1
E. Kennett 3,3,2,1=9
K. Gomolski 3,2',3,3,1'=12+2
M. Janowski 1,1,1',3=6+1
P. Starke 2,1,1',3=7+1
K. Newman 1',1,2',2'=6+3
COVENTRY 31
C. Harris 0,2,0,3,R,3=8
K. Howarth 1,2,0,0,2=5
D. King 0,1,2,1',0=4+1
H. Andersen 2,0,3,2,2,R=9
R. Replacement =0
A. Ellis 3,FD,0,1,1=5
J. Sarjeant 0,0,0=0

Ht 1 C. Holder D. Watt K. Howarth C. Harris 5-1 (5-1) (59.1)
Ht 2 A. Ellis P. Starke K. Newman J. Sarjeant 3-3 (8-4) (59.5)
Ht 3 E. Kennett C. Harris M. Janowski D. King 4-2 (12-6) (59.03)
Ht 4 K. Gomolski H. Andersen K. Newman A. Ellis (Fell d/q) 4-2 (16-8) (Awd)
Ht 5 D. Watt K. Howarth P. Starke A. Ellis 4-2 (20-10) (60.16)
Ht 6 E. Kennett K. Gomolski D. King C. Harris (TR) 5-1 (25-11) (59.67)
Ht 7 C. Holder D. King M. Janowski H. Andersen 4-2 (29-13) (59.73)
Ht 8 K. Gomolski K. Newman A. Ellis K. Howarth 5-1 (34-14) (60.68)
Ht 9 H. Andersen D. Watt P. Starke J. Sarjeant 3-3 (37-17) (60.03)
Ht 10 C. Harris E. Kennett M. Janowski K. Howarth 3-3 (40-20) (59.82)
Ht 11 D. Watt H. Andersen D. King C. Holder (Fell d/q) 3-3 (43-23) (Awd)
Ht 12 P. Starke K. Newman A. Ellis J. Sarjeant 5-1 (48-24) (61.50)
Ht 13 M. Janowski K. Howarth C. Harris (Rtd) C. Holder (Rtd) 3-2 (51-26) (59.60)
Ht 14 K. Gomolski H. Andersen E. Kennett D. King 4-2 (55-28) (60.50)
Ht 15 C. Harris D. Watt K. Gomolski H. Andersen (Rtd) 3-3 (58-31) (61.16)

Referee Jim Lawrence
Gates: Coventry won toss and take 1&3. Poole take 1&3 in heat 15