SOMERSET 46 PIRATES 44

"Never underestimate a Pirate" was Neil Middleditch's post-meeting reaction as the 'Volvo Cars' Poole Pirates have left themselves well positioned for the second leg of their play-off semi-final on October 1st.

The Pirates went down 46-44 at the Oaktree, but had it not been for a puncture sustained by reserve Richie Worrall in 12 the scores could well have finished all-square in the first leg. Poole recovered from an early four point deficit as the two teams traded 4-2 heat advantages across the opening five heats, the Rebels collecting three, the Pirates replying with two of their own.
Unable to find any answers to Jason Doyle's comprehensive win, the visitors were grateful for Worrall holding out Wilson-Dean (winner of the opening heat) to share heat 6 and when Klindt made a telling pass on Jake Allen in the seventh to support Grajczonek's win over Holder the Pirates squared the meeting.
Wilson-Dean made Jakobsen work hard for his maiden Oaktree victory, the Rebels New Zealander looking as though he had done enough to pip the Dane but closer scrutiny revealed Jakobsen had held denied Wilson-Dean the win. It took a superb ride from Woryna to outwit Allen in heat 11 before there was any other split in the scores, the Pirates edging two ahead as Kurtz gained his second win of the night . Covatti was uncatchable in heat 12 but it looked as though Summers was spent until Worrall pulled up with a puncture, converting a likely shared heat into a match equalling 4-2 for the Rebels. That was followed up by a well-paced ride from Jason Doyle, weighing up his options on Kurtz and taking the flag by a decent distance, whilst Holder was battling his way by Harris.
Klindt's super start put him well on the way to victory and with Jakobsen patiently pressurising Lawson and passing for the point reset the margin to zero but with Doyle in great form picking off the fast trapping Klindt who then worked hard to block out Holder this highly entertaining first leg ended in the slenderest of home wins for the Rebels, but the Pirates in a strong position to book a place in the final when the tie concludes in a fortnight.

SOMERSET 46
J. Doyle 1,3,3,3,3=13
B. Wilson-Dean 3,0,2,0=5
N. Covatti 2,0,1',3=6+1
R. Lawson 0,2,2,0=4
J. Holder 1,2,2,1,1=7
J. Allen 3,0,0,2=5
A. Summers 1,3,1',1=6+1

POOLE 44
B. Kurtz 0,3,3,2,0=8
K. Woryna 2,1,0,1=4
J. Grajczonek 3,3,1',2=9+1
N. Klindt 1,1,2,3,2=9
C. Harris 2,2,3,0=7
R. Worrall 2,1',0,R=3+1
F. Jakobsen 0,0,3,1=4

Ht 1: B. Wilson-Dean, K. Woryna, J. Doyle, B. Kurtz 4-2 4-2
Ht 2: J. Allen, R. Worrall, A. Summers, F. Jakobsen 4-2 8-4
Ht 3: J. Grajczonek, N. Covatti, N. Klindt, R. Lawson 2-4 10-8
Ht 4: A. Summers, C. Harris, J. Holder, F. Jakobsen 4-2 14-10
Ht 5: B. Kurtz, R. Lawson, K. Woryna, N. Covatti 2-4 16-14
Ht 6: J. Doyle, C. Harris, R. Worrall, B. Wilson-Dean 3-3 19-17
Ht 7: J. Grajczonek, J. Holder, N. Klindt, J. Allen 2-4 21-21
Ht 8: F. Jakobsen, B. Wilson-Dean, A. Summers, K. Woryna 3-3 24-24
Ht 9: C. Harris, R. Lawson, N. Covatti, R. Worrall 3-3 27-27
Ht 10: J. Doyle, N. Klindt, J. Grajczonek, B. Wilson-Dean 3-3 30-30
Ht 11: B. Kurtz, J. Holder, K. Woryna, J. Allen 2-4 32-34
Ht 12: N. Covatti, J. Grajczonek, A. Summers, R. Worrall (Rtd) 4-2 36-36
Ht 13: J. Doyle, B. Kurtz, J. Holder, C. Harris 4-2 40-38
Ht 14: Klindt, J. Allen, F. Jakobsen, R. Lawson 2-4 42-42
Ht 15: J. Doyle, N. Klindt, J. Holder, B. Kurtz 4-2 46-44
Referee M.Bates
Gates: SOMERSET won toss and chose gates 1&3 POOLE took gates 1&3 in heat 15

Picture: TONY HARTMAN