SWINDON 56 PIRATES 34

For the second time in the matter of 8 days the Swindon Robins gave the Pirates a lesson in gating as the Wiltshire club picked up an untroubled three league points and on the back of their eight straight victory move into second place and leave Poole anchored in fourth place in the table.

On a night when the number of genuine passes were like a well-fitting glove, comfortable on one hand, the statistics of three warnings and two 15 metre push-backs for the home riders spoke volumes of their eagerness to make it from the gate.

Unlike the Wimborne Road encounter though the Pirates did manage a heat advantage, although even in that heat 10 achievement points were squandered when Edward Kennett over-rode and lost all his momentum allowing Nick Morris, who had been sent off a 15 metre penalty for a second offence on the night of moving under the green light, to catch and pass him. Morris was the only Robins representative in that heat as Adam Ellis had fallen around the first bend in the initial staging.

By then however, the resulting 4-2, skipper Hans Andersen the winner, the victory was a mere consolation for the Pirates went into the heat trailing by 20 points. An early tactical ride for Andersen had back-fired as both he and Kennett were left standing by the sharpness of David Bellego and Bradley Wilson-Dean in the fifth heat.

Jack Holder, a heavy faller first time out looked the more competitive of the Pirates and he closed his night out with a fine win in heat 15 rounding both Bellego and Morris  but partner Timo Lahti couldn't replicate the excellent move he had made two heats earlier when he swept around both Jason Doyle and Nick Morris to win heat 13.

So the Pirates proud record of picking up league points on all their travels came to an end and now they have to brace themselves for two encounters against top side Belle Vue next week, with the Pirates heading north on Monday before hosting the Aces on Wednesday evening.

SWINDON 56
J. Doyle 3,3,3,1'=10+1
T. Musielak 1,2',3,1=7+1
B. Wilson-Dean 1',2',FD,3=6+2
D. Bellego 2,3,3,3,2=13
N. Morris 3,3,2,2,1'=11+1
A. Ellis 3,0,FD,2'=5+1
Z. Wajtknecht 2',2',0,FD=4+2

POOLE 34
H. Andersen 2,1,3,0=6
E. Kennett 0,0,2,1=3
J. Holder FD,1',2,2,3=8+1
R. Worrall 3,2,0,1=6
T. Lahti 1,1,2,3,0=7
P. Starke 1,0,1',1'=3+2
J. Shanes 0,0,1',0=1+1
Ht 1 J. Doyle H. Andersen T. Musielak E. Kennett 4-2 (4-2) (67.24)
Ht 2 A. Ellis Z. Wajtknecht P. Starke J. Shanes 5-1 (9-3) (66.77)
Ht 3 R. Worrall D. Bellego(tapes 15m hcap) B. Wilson-Dean J. Holder (Fell d/q) 3-3 (12-6) (67.58)
Ht 4 N. Morris Z. Wajtknecht T. Lahti J. Shanes 5-1 (17-7) (66.96)
Ht 5 D. Bellego B. Wilson-Dean H. Andersen (TR) E. Kennett 5-1 (22-8) (66.4)
Ht 6 J. Doyle T. Musielak T. Lahti P. Starke 5-1 (27-9) (67.9)
Ht 7 N. Morris R. Worrall J. Holder A. Ellis 3-3 (30-12) (67.52)
Ht 8 T. Musielak E. Kennett P. Starke Z. Wajtknecht 3-3 (33-15) (67.18)
Ht 9 D. Bellego T. Lahti J. Shanes B. Wilson-Dean (Fell d/q) 3-3 (36-18) (awd)
Ht 10 J. Doyle J. Holder T. Musielak R. Worrall 4-2 (40-20) (67.18)
Ht 11 H. Andersen N. Morris (15m hcap) E. Kennett A. Ellis (Fell d/q) 2-4 (42-24) (68.05)
Ht 12 B. Wilson-Dean J. Holder P. Starke Z. Wajtknecht (Fell d/q) 3-3 (45-27) (68.7)
Ht 13 T. Lahti N. Morris J. Doyle H. Andersen 3-3 (48-30) (67.21)
Ht 14 D. Bellego A. Ellis R. Worrall J. Shanes 5-1 (53-31) (67.93)
Ht 15 J. Holder D. Bellego N. Morris T. Lahti 3-3 (56-34) (68.3)

Referee Ronnie Allan
Gates: SWINDON won toss and chose gates 2&4 in heat 1. POOLE took gates 2&4 in heat 15
SWINDON 3 league points POOLE 0 league points
Rider of the Night: Jack Holder

Picture: LES AUBREY