POOLE 48 BIRMINGHAM 42

Poole Coastal Aluminium Pirates made heavy weather amidst tricky conditions of maintaining their unbeaten home record this season and although they eventually managed a 48-42 triumph the result meant they dropped a league point to a determined bottom of the table Birmingham outfit.

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Chris Holder admitted that "it was tough out there as the track was a bit difficult and I think it played into their (Birmingham) hands a bit. We managed to pull through for the win in the end but dropping that point could be crucial."

Both Matt Ford and Neil Middleditch had warned about the dangers pres"ented by a Birmingham side that had started the season indifferently and for much of the meeting it looked as though last season's play-off finalists might even walk away with the league points.

But a vital heat 11 5-1 (for the third time this season at Wimborne Road) from Pole-stars Przemyslaw Pawlicki and Maciej Janowski - which required the Poole captain to show some grasstracking skills off the final turn - levered Poole back into the meeting as it wiped out Birmingham's advantage that they had held since Ben Barker and Edward Kennett muscled their way by a gutsy Vaclav Milik and Pawlicki in heat 6.

Although the rain forecasted for later evening arrived earlier than anticipated the track did begin to settle down a bit mid-meeting after a number of incidents in the earlier heats forced numerous re-runs.

Returning to racing for the first time since rupturing his thigh in a crash at Peterborough 15 days earlier, Kyle Newman had an unwanted baptism when he crashed into Simon Lambert in heat 2 and landed on top of the air fence. Both Birmingham riders fell in heat 3, a race re-started without Daniel King and in that re-run Barker hit problems that caused him to impede Janowski although the Poole skipper did exceptionally well to stay upright and under power.

Next time out though Janowski did take a tumble - twice! Squeezed out in the first turn he dusted himself down and threw everything into trying to join the much improved gating Chris Holder. Just when it appeared Janowski had probably done enough he locked up on the third turn of the final lap which cost the Pirates valuable points.

But once they had restored some pride through that heat 11 maximum they then began to turn up the pressure immediately opening a two point lead of their own through Grjaczonek and Newman in heat 12 then a 5-1 courtesy of Holder and Janowski to lead by 6 with just two heats remaining. One more heat advantage would have denied the visitors any league points on the night and Milik's efforts in heat 14 were worthy more than just a second place finish behind Daniel Nermark. 

POOLE 48
C. Holder 1',3,2,3,3=12+1
J. Grajczonek 2,2,0,3=7
P. Pawlicki 3,0,3,3,0=9
V. Milik 2,1,2',2=7+1
M. Janowski 2',F,2',2'=6+3
L. Smart 2,0,0=2
K. Newman F,0,3,1,1'=5+1
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BIRMINGHAM 42"
E. Kennett 0,2',0,0=2+1
A. Skornicki 3,3,0,2=8
D. King FDq,1',1,1=3+1
D. Nermark 2,3,1,3,1'=10+1
B. Barker 1,3,3,1,2=10
S. Lambert 3,1,1',0=5+1
P. Starke 1,1,2,0=4

Ht 1 A. Skornicki J. Grajczonek C. Holder E. Kennett 3-3 (3-3) (59.4)
Ht 2 S. Lambert L. Smart P. Starke K. Newman (Fell) 2-4 (5-7) (62.53)
Ht 3 P. Pawlicki M. Janowski B. Barker D. King (Fell d/q) 5-1 (10-8) (61.78)
Ht 4 A. Skornicki V. Milik P. Starke L. Smart 2-4 (12-12) (61.32)
Ht 5 C. Holder D. Nermark D. King M. Janowski (Fell) 3-3 (15-15) (61.16)
Ht 6 B. Barker E. Kennett V. Milik P. Pawlicki 1-5 (16-20) (61.71)
Ht 7 D. Nermark J. Grajczonek S. Lambert K. Newman 2-4 (18-24) (62.66)
Ht 8 P. Pawlicki V. Milik D. King A. Skornicki 5-1 (23-25) (60.84)
Ht 9 K. Newman P. Starke S. Lambert L. Smart 3-3 (26-28) (64.65)
Ht 10 B. Barker C. Holder D. King J. Grajczonek 2-4 (28-32) (62.46)
Ht 11 P. Pawlicki M. Janowski D. Nermark E. Kennett 5-1 (33-33) (62.57)
Ht 12 J. Grajczonek A. Skornicki K. Newman P. Starke 4-2 (37-35) (62.47)
Ht 13 C. Holder M. Janowski B. Barker E. Kennett 5-1 (42-36) (61.94)
Ht 14 D. Nermark V. Milik K. Newman S. Lambert 3-3 (45-39) (63.1)
Ht 15 C. Holder B. Barker D. Nermark P. Pawlicki 3-3 (48-42) (61.75)

Referee: Mr Mick Posselwhite
Gates: Birmingham  won toss and took gates 1&3.  Poole take 1&3  in heat 15