REACTION: COMETS SNATCH DRAW BUT CAN'T STOP PIRATES IN BSN SEMI FINAL

Poole 'Wessex Marine' Pirates secured their place in their first final of 2024 as they gained a convincing aggregate victory over potential play-off opponents, Workington, in the BSN Series.

Holding a twenty eight point lead from the first leg Poole ensured they maintained their defence of the one competition they won last season but narrowly missed out on inflicting a fourth straight defeat over the Workington 'GT Tyres' Comets, as the second leg finished in a 45-all draw.

Had it not been for both skipper Ben Cook and number one Richard Lawson suffering a shed chain each in identical places together with a brilliant last heat recovery from the Comets, the Pirates would have made it a four straight wins on the bounce.

Encouragingly for the Pirates, young Sam Hagon ended his points drought, after nine straight last places, to finish with a well-earned paid five score from his number two position, a tally that might have been greater had he not been squeezed back into third place in heat eleven when set to go round both Troy Batchelor and Richard Lawson. Afterwards the youngster admitted "it was a lot better of a day for me and it was nice at last to get some points on the board and hopefully things will get that little bit better for me and move in the opposite direction as it has just been going down for me lately.

Unfortunately, I guess, that is part of learning. You go up and down, up and down and hopefully that was my massive down and now I am on the way up. It was a shame in my last ride when I had hoped to get an even better finish. Richard normally team rides really well but it was just in that one it didn't happen. We know where we went wrong and that is part of riding together and we are new as a pairing really, and we are still learning. Obviously, with my last few meetings I can understand he hasn't had to look for me but then again it was a really hard race for all of us. Batch (Troy Batchelor) was riding really well, I mean, look at him in heat fifteen they way he forced his way through there, and I just think in my last one (heat eleven) Rich had a lot to deal with and I had been struggling and so it was just one of those things, but hopefully it is a step forward. I definitely think that two weeks ago I wouldn't have done what I did in my last race so I am hoping that I am on my way back now."

Poole built an early lead at the Northside venue but the Comets refused to lay down even once the tie had been lost within the first nine heats. Ben Cook was preparing to become the third Cook ride to taste life in the lead in heat ten but he dropped a chain allowing Comets' Craig Cook to take the honours ahead of earlier leader Zach Cook as the home team gained their fourth heat advantage of the meeting. Poole then won their fifth gain in that heat eleven incident, having to settle for a 4-2 with Batchelor splitting Lawson and Hagon. At that stage Poole looked firm favourites to go on to protect the six point lead they had established in the meeting but then Lawson shed his chain whilst leading heat thirteen allowing Batchelor to grab the lead over the hard working Tom Brennan. Zach Cook kept four points between the two sides with his first outright race win of the afternoon, having earlier enjoyed a 5-1 with brother Ben, leaving Workington needing a 5-1 of their own to squeeze a draw from this second leg. Victory looked set for Poole as Lawson and Brennan both momentarily got their noses in front but sensationally Batchelor found some extra pace from somewhere and Antti Vuolas followed suit to see out the meeting in spectacular style.

WORKINGTON 45 ,Troy Batchelor 12 (3,1,2,3,3) ,Antti Vuolas 10+1 (1,3,2,2,2') ,Craig Cook 9 (3,2,3,1) ,Jason Edwards 5 (3,0,0,2) ,Jye Etheridge 5 (1,FD,3,1) ,Paul Starke 3+2 (0,1,0,1',1') ,Sam McGurk 1 (1,0,0,RS)
POOLE 45 ,Tom Brennan 10 (2,3,3,2,0) ,Ben Cook 9 (2,3,R,3,1) ,Zach Cook 7+1 (0,2',2,3) ,Richard Lawson 7 (2,2,3,0) ,Tobias Thomsen 5 (3,1,1,0) ,Ben Trigger 4+1 (2',0,2,0) ,Sam Hagon 3+2 (0,1',1',1)

Full Heat details and meeting report