RESULT: POOLE 57 BELLE VUE 37

Poole crept to within a point of second place Lakeside with an emphatic 57-37 home win over Belle Vue as reserve Kyle Newman made an emphatic statement on his return from injury.

Registering his first ever Elite league paid maximum, Newman, who missed Monday night's defeat in Manchester with a shoulder injury, reeled off three perfect race wins before following in the tyre treads of Vaclav Milik in heat 14. He was justifiably proud of his achievement as he accepted the Rider of the Night award and  graciously admitted "I owed the Poole fans a decent performance as I've not been on it recently. I promised that I would go out and chase the points and I was making some good starts tonight. It feels good to get the maximum and its good that we got the result we were looking for too."

The Pirates certainly raised their game after that 18 point defeat on Monday and never looked in danger of allowing Belle Vue to take anything away with them.

Twice they mitigated the visitors use of the tactical rule and man for man were better in all quarters, although Scott Nicholls, with 10 points outscored his opposite number 3 Przemyslaw Pawlicki who managed just 5 points, which, by his high standards he admitted was a disappointing return.

"For me it wasn't such a perfect night but the team covered well for me. I will be looking to score much better next time" confessed the Pole who along with the rest of the Pirates face a difficult trip to Swindon tomorrow (Thursday).

Poole rapidly built a 12 point lead over the course of the first 5 heats which the Aces, through Zagar and some dubious tactics by Cook to cut-up Pawlicki on the back straight, managed to reduce to 8 briefly. The Pirates' response was instant as Newman and Grajczonek paired up for a retaliatory 5-1 with a show of team-riding that was tested to the hilt by the interests of Michael Palm-Toft.

Pawlicki then headed home tactical rider Scott Nicholls with Milik battling back from a scary first turn to pass Tungate for effectively a shared heat due to Nicholls' double points. 

For much of heat 9 debutant Brendan Johnson looked as though he might partner Newman to another Poole 5-1 but a determined Stefan Nielsen managed to split the two local boys but the Pirates still extended their lead to 14.

The Pirates' fourth 5-1 came in heat 10 when Ward left his rivals for dust and Grajczonek was quick to find a way through the pack to join him. Janowski comprehensively trumped the Aces second tactical option although with Pawlicki at the rear the vistors did gain the satisfaction of reeling in 2 of that 18 point gulf. Another two were struck off when Tungate gallantly led Grajczonek home in 12 but their chances of gaining a league point slimmed down massively when Cook was left on the line at heat 13.

That paid maximum from Newman was achieved with a composed ride as he held off Palm-Toft in heat 14 and Poole finished the night off with a 4-2 from Ward and Grajczonek having done job that the Poole boss Matt Ford had called for pre-meeting.

POOLE 57
D. Ward 2',2',3,2,3=12+2
J. Grajczonek 3,2',2',2,1=10+2
P. Pawlicki 1,1,3,0=5
V. Milik 3,0,1,3=7
M. Janowski 3,3,3,1'=10+1
B. Johnson 1,0,1,0=2
K. Newman 3,3,3,2'=11+1

.Belle Vue 37
M. Zagar R,3,4,3=10
R. Tungate 1,2,0,3,0=6
S. Nicholls 2,1,4,1,2=10
M. Palm-Toft 0,1,1',1=3+1
C. Cook 0,2',0,R=2+1
L. Payne 0,0,0,0=0
S. Nielsen 2,1',2,1=6+1

Ht 1 J. Grajczonek D. Ward R. Tungate M. Zagar (Rtd) 5-1 (5-1) (61.46)
Ht 2 K. Newman S. Nielsen B. Johnson L. Payne 4-2 (9-3) (61.59)
Ht 3 M. Janowski S. Nicholls P. Pawlicki C. Cook 4-2 (13-5) (60.37)
Ht 4 V. Milik R. Tungate S. Nielsen B. Johnson 3-3 (16-8) (60.91)
Ht 5 M. Janowski D. Ward S. Nicholls M. Palm-Toft 5-1 (21-9) (60.39)
Ht 6 M. Zagar C. Cook P. Pawlicki V. Milik 1-5 (22-14) (61.53)
Ht 7 K. Newman J. Grajczonek M. Palm-Toft L. Payne 5-1 (27-15) (61.97)
Ht 8 P. Pawlicki S. Nicholls (TR) V. Milik R. Tungate 4-4 (31-19) (60.85)
Ht 9 K. Newman S. Nielsen B. Johnson L. Payne 4-2 (35-21) (62.47)
Ht 10 D. Ward J. Grajczonek S. Nicholls C. Cook 5-1 (40-22) (61.22)
Ht 11 M. Janowski M. Zagar (TR) M. Palm-Toft P. Pawlicki 3-5 (43-27) (61.03)
Ht 12 R. Tungate J. Grajczonek S. Nielsen B. Johnson 2-4 (45-31) (62.06)
Ht 13 M. Zagar D. Ward M. Janowski C. Cook (Rtd) 3-3 (48-34) (60.28)
Ht 14 V. Milik K. Newman M. Palm-Toft L. Payne 5-1 (53-35) (61.94)
Ht 15 D. Ward S. Nicholls J. Grajczonek R. Tungate 4-2 (57-37) (60.62)

Referee P.Carrington
Gates: Belle Vue won toss and will take ?&?in heat 15. Poole take 1&3 in heat 1