POOLE V EASTBOURNE

NEVER mind the Turbo Twins – reigning Elite League champions unleashed the new Pirate Pole-stars Przemyslaw Pawlicki and Maciej Janowski with two scintillating pieces of team riding to open the club’s account with a full haul of three league points.

The two Poles produced maximum points in Heat 11 and Heat 15 as the home side overturned an early deficit after the first two heats to claim a full points return at the first attempt.

  Eastbourne arrived in Dorset with a 100 per cent Elite League record from their first two meetings this season against a Poole side missing Grand Prix star and home skipper Darcy Ward.

   Ward’s deputy, Craig Cook, was involved in an awful looking crash in the opening heat. The Brit bravely went for an inside dive but rode into Eagles dashing Dane Mikkel Michelsen.

   Both riders required lengthy medical attention on track but appeared for the re-run as the referee ruled it as a first bend racing incident.

   Bravely Michelsen made all the running in the re-start while Poole's championship hero Josh Grajczonek worked tirelessly to keep Cameron Woodward checked back in third place.

  With Lee Smart falling in the reserves race when heading for a point, the Eagles were able to double their advantage before Pawlicki and Janowski redressed the balance in Heat 3, split only by former Poole captain Bjarne Pedersen who was able to catch Janowski by surprise.

  But a race win from Czech Elite League debutant Vaclav Milik - aided by the Eagles perceived ‘dangerman' Michelsen failing to leave the starting grid - set Poole on their way ably supported by Kyle Newman's second place.

  Janowski and Cook made it back to back maximum heat advantages for the defending champions before Heat 6 took three attempts to complete.

  Eagles’ Joonas Kylmakorpi was a faller at the first staging and ruled out of the re-run, then Milik dropped a chain and his bike became caught up in the air fence forcing another race stoppage, leaving Pawlicki to defeat Woodward in a straight match race.

  The visitors - hampered by a further retirement for the out-of-luck Michelsen - never gave up and race wins from Lewis Blackbird in Heat 9 and Pedersen in Heat 10 kept them in touch for the league points.

  But the first pieces of imperious team-riding from Pawlicki and Janowski gave the Pirates some breathing space in Heat 11 although a win from Michelsen in Heat 12 followed by a Woodward victory in Heat 13 still kept the result in doubt.

  Milik's Heat 14 win with a battling Newman in third though ensured Poole needed just a finisher in Heat 15 and with that Polish pair picked for the concluding heat the margin of difference breached double figures.

POOLE 52
C. Cook 0,2',2,0=4+1
J. Grajczonek 2,3,1',1'=7+2
P. Pawlicki 3,3,1,3,3=13
V. Milik 3,FDq,3,3=9
M. Janowski 1,3,2',2,2'=10+2
K. Newman 2,2',2,2,1=9+1
"L. Smart FDq,0,0=0
"
EASTBOURNE 37
C. Woodward 1,2,1,3,1=8
M. Michelsen 3,R,R,3=6
B. Pedersen 2,1,2,3,0=8
T. Lahti 0,2,0,2=4
J. Kylmakorpi 0,FDq,0,1=1
L. Blackbird 3,1',3,0,0=7+1
D. Halsey 1,1,1=3

Ht 1 M. Michelsen J. Grajczonek C. Woodward C. Cook 2-4 (2-4) (60.59)
Ht 2 L. Blackbird K. Newman D. Halsey L. Smart (Fell d/q) 2-4 (4-8) (awd)
Ht 3 P. Pawlicki B. Pedersen M. Janowski J. Kylmakorpi 4-2 (8-10) (60.84)
Ht 4 V. Milik K. Newman D. Halsey M. Michelsen (Rtd) 5-1 (13-11) (61.54)
Ht 5 M. Janowski C. Cook B. Pedersen T. Lahti 5-1 (18-12) (61.13)
Ht 6 P. Pawlicki C. Woodward V. Milik (Fell d/q) J. Kylmakorpi (Fell d/q) 3-2 (21-14) (61.12)
Ht 7 J. Grajczonek T. Lahti L. Blackbird L. Smart 3-3 (24-17) (61.6)
Ht 8 V. Milik B. Pedersen P. Pawlicki M. Michelsen (Rtd) 4-2 (28-19) (61.14)
Ht 9 L. Blackbird K. Newman D. Halsey L. Smart 2-4 (30-23) (62.63)
Ht 10 B. Pedersen C. Cook J. Grajczonek J. Kylmakorpi 3-3 (33-26) (61.91)
Ht 11 P. Pawlicki M. Janowski C. Woodward T. Lahti 5-1 (38-27) (61.22)
Ht 12 M. Michelsen K. Newman J. Grajczonek L. Blackbird 3-3 (41-30) (62.37)
Ht 13 C. Woodward M. Janowski J. Kylmakorpi C. Cook 2-4 (43-34) (62.44)
Ht 14 V. Milik T. Lahti K. Newman L. Blackbird 4-2 (47-36) (61.94)
Ht 15 P. Pawlicki M. Janowski C. Woodward B. Pedersen 5-1 (52-37) ()

Referee: Mr Dave Robinson
Gates: Eastbourne  won toss and took gates 1&3.