PIRATES UNBEATEN IN SCOTLAND

A workmanlike team performance from the Pirates saw them claim a 47-43 win over the Tigers who were in a jubilant mood at the start of the meeting having won at Oxford on Wednesday night.

The win sends Poole back to pole position in the league table after just four matches.  

Playing a major role in Poole's win were Tobias Thomsen and the 'Harbour Master' himself, Paul Starke. Tobias acknowledged the role the Tigers played in the entertaining meeting, saying "Fair play to Glasgow they gave us a good run and I have just got to say this track is probably one of the best tracks I have ever ridden. It is smooth, you can ride every line and yeah, you can be hard on each other without it being dangerous. It really is a nice circuit."

Thomsen produced an excellent move to win heat eight and prevent the Tigers extending their four point advantage and he admitted "Yeah, Max (Perry) he went for it in that one but I was never going to let that happen so I decided to just send it wide and luckily I got him, and  yeah we got the points."

Starke was a busy man on the night, taking six rides including an earlier than usual appearance on track when drafted in to replace the disqualified stand-in skipper Richard Lawson who had infringed at the tapes in heat one. "well that kind of helped me a bit to be fair as it gave me a feel for the track and set me up a bit for heat two. But what a night and it is great for us all, especially Havvy (team manager Gary Havelock). If there is any place you want to come to and win then it is Glasgow for sure. But I must admit I struggled a bit mid meeting. I was using a new engine tonight and was kind of wrestling with trying to get it dialled in, but it all came good in the end."

Starke featured in the match-winning heat fourteen when he held off Freddy Hodder for third place, whilst Lewis Kerr was out in front. That gave Poole a 4-2 advantage and edged them ahead by six points. 

Starke was also instrumental in putting the Pirates back in front after the scores were level at 33-33 with eleven heats completed. Combining with guest for the night Jason Edwards, Starke kept out Leon Flint and Perry, providing the breathing space they needed to see the job through.

Poole had been scheduled to ride at Workington on Saturday but flooding at the track and an unfavourable weather forecast led to that fixture being postponed early.

GLASGOW 43 ,Chris Harris 17 (3,2,3,3,3,3) ,Kyle Howarth 9 (2,1,3,2,0,1) ,Ben Barker 7+2 (1,3,1',1',1) ,Leon Flint 5+1 (0,0,2',1,2) ,Max Perry 4 (2,0,2,0) ,Freddy Hodder 1+1 (1',0,0,0) ,Stene Pijper 0  POOLE 47 ,Richard Lawson 9+1 (XE,3,3,1',2) ,Anders Rowe 9 (3,3,1,2,0) ,Lewis Kerr 9 (2,2,2,3) ,Tobias Thomsen 8+1 (2,2',3,1) ,Paul Starke 6+1 (0,3,0,0,2',1) ,Jason Edwards 5+2 (1',1',0,3) ,Darryl Ritchings 1 (0,1,R,RS)

Full heat details and report