CHAMPIONS....AGAIN!

4/11/22

It was champagne time at the Adrian Flux Arena as the Pirates secured the SGB Championship League and Cup double and brought Neil Middleditch his tenth league title as Poole team manager.

For Richard Lawson it was a first ever league title and not only did he do it in some style, with a paid maximum, he was sharing all his King's Lynn track knowledge with his team-mates throughout the meeting, as the Pirates recovered from a characteristically slow start, and he admitted, "It means a lot to me to win with Poole, I feel so comfortable with them and I have really enjoyed my first season down there. To win my first league title is good."
Although failing to find a race winner in the first three heats, once the victories started coming the Pirates kept the pressure on and over the course of the final twelve heats they took the chequered flag eleven times.
The Pirates once again had solid scoring from their Australian Cook brothers, both of whom were making their track debuts at the neutral venue after the tie was switched from Leicester to Norfolk, and when they paired up to win heat eight with a 5-1 it allowed the Pirates to edge into the lead for the first time on the night, and they never looked back from that stage.
Zach was involved immediately in a second 5-1 when he made all the running in heat nine, unaware of the battle that Lawson was winning against his King's Lynn team-mate Richie Worrall. The next time Cook was on track he was partnering Steve Worrall and that was the heat that the Pirates clinched the crown, Worrall powering round his brother and Max Clegg at the first turn, before Cook found an opening to move into third , the 4-2 result meaning there was no way back for the Lions.

LEICESTER 38 (79) Nick Morris 7+1 (3,1',2,1) ,Richie Worrall 7 (3,1,1,2,R) ,Connor Mountain 6+2 (2',2,1,1') ,Kyle Howarth 6+1 (1',2,2,0,1) ,Joe Thompson 5+1 (1,1',0,3) ,Max Clegg 5 (3,2,0,R) ,Dan Thompson 2+1 (0,0,0,2')
POOLE 52 (101) Richard Lawson 14+1 (3,3,2',3,3) ,Steve Worrall 11 (2,3,3,3) ,Zach Cook 9 (2,0,3,3,1) ,Ben Cook 8+3 (1,2',2',1,2') ,Danny King 8+1 (0,3,3,2') ,Drew Kemp 2 (1,0,0,1) ,Nathan Ablitt 0 (0,0,RS,0)

Full Match report and heat details

Photo Derek Leader