KING'S LYNN 47 PIRATES 46

If facing a side unbeaten at home was not a stern test in itself then losing the services of a key rider of the capabilities of Chris Holder before a wheel had been turned and then falling 10 points behind in the space of the first five heats was simply making things significantly tougher but the Poole Ready Power Pirates suffered the agony of a last heat concession to deny them an unlikely but would have been deserved victory at King's Lynn.

The cruel climax of an intense meeting left Poole owner Matt Ford simply "guttted" as he said in the wake of the slender one point defeat "Right now I feel absolutely gutted but I will reflect on the result and take the positives from it. We were really on the back foot from the get-go and things began to look bleak as the Stars were hitting us hard from the gate, but the team showed considerable character when it would have been far easier to allow their heads to drop.
"I really thought we had done enough in the last heat but take nothing away from Robert Lambert, who has been something of a nemesis to us up there this season, and Niels-Kristian Iversen who both fought superbly well to do the task that was required of them.
"We had good contributions throughout the team after the shaky start and I don't think there would have been too many thoughts of us being ahead going into that final heat.

The Pirates comeback was inspired by skipper Maciej Janowski winning his tactical ride in heat 6 with partner Dave Watt converting the heat score to a 7-2 in the Pirates favour thus halving their deficit. After wins from Kacper Gomolski (heat 8) and Watt the visitors remained in touch, and had it not been for a splendid third lap pass by Nicklas Porsing as he drilled under Kyle Newman to deny the Poole reserve from backing up Watt's victory then the Pirates would have been even closer.
2014 Pirate Vaclav Milik comprehensively got the better of the previous unbeaten Janowski whilst Kenneth Bjerre opened his account as Gomolski packed up, and in the final analysis that proved to be a critical result, as the Stars went back to a 7 point lead (35-28).
North and Janowski struck back with their second 5-1 of the meeting and Newman made a splendid start in heat 12 but Starke just unable to hold the charging Lewis Kerr at bay, but the Pirates' 4-2 trimmed the deficit to a single point.
That swung in Poole's favour after an enthralling heat 13 which saw Janowski gain revenge on Milik and Iversen pass Gomolski but the Pirates were a recipient of a small stroke of luck when Milik packed up on the final lap turning a shared heat into a 4-2 advantage for them and into the lead for the first time on the night.
Watt kept things like that by winning heat 14 but North struggled against Lambert and Bjerre so the Pirates headed for the final heat leading 44-43.
Lambert then started the heartbreak as he blasted by Janowski on the opening lap then the Pole spent a large amount of the back straight on one wheel although was able to get it down and tuck in with North who was under assault from Iversen. The Dane showed true character to split the Poole duo leaving the Pirates with just a consolitary league point.

King's Lynn 47
N. Iversen 2',3,1,2,1=9+1
N. Porsing 3,3,2,0=8
K. Bjerre 0,0,1,1'=2+1
R. Lambert 3,2,2,2,3=12
V. Milik 1,1,3,R=5
L. Kerr 3,2',0,2=7+1
A. Morris 1,2',1',0=4+2
POOLE 46
R. Replacement =0
K. Gomolski 1,1,3,R,1=6
D. North 0,2',2,3,0,0=7+1
D. Watt 0,1,0,3,3=7
M. Janowski 3,6,2,2',3,2=18+1
P. Starke 2,0,0,1=3
K. Newman 0,1,1,3=5

Ht 1 N. Porsing N. Iversen K. Gomolski D. North 5-1 (5-1) (58.79)
Ht 2 L. Kerr P. Starke A. Morris K. Newman 4-2 (9-3) (58.98)
Ht 3 M. Janowski D. North V. Milik K. Bjerre 1-5 (10-8) (59.41)
Ht 4 R. Lambert A. Morris K. Newman D. Watt 5-1 (15-9) ()
Ht 5 N. Porsing L. Kerr K. Gomolski P. Starke 5-1 (20-10) (60.05)
Ht 6 M. Janowski (TR) R. Lambert D. Watt K. Bjerre 2-7 (22-17) (58.76)
Ht 7 N. Iversen D. North V. Milik D. Watt 4-2 (26-19) (58.32)
Ht 8 K. Gomolski R. Lambert A. Morris P. Starke 3-3 (29-22) (60.65)
Ht 9 D. Watt N. Porsing K. Newman L. Kerr 2-4 (31-26) (60.39)
Ht 10 V. Milik M. Janowski K. Bjerre K. Gomolski (Rtd) 4-2 (35-28) (58.37)
Ht 11 D. North M. Janowski N. Iversen N. Porsing 1-5 (36-33) (59.93)
Ht 12 K. Newman L. Kerr P. Starke A. Morris 2-4 (38-37) (61.6)
Ht 13 M. Janowski N. Iversen K. Gomolski V. Milik (Rtd) 2-4 (40-41) (60.16)
Ht 14 D. Watt R. Lambert K. Bjerre D. North 3-3 (43-44) ()
Ht 15 R. Lambert M. Janowski N. Iversen D. North 4-2 (47-46) (61.53)
Referee Mick Bates
Gates: Poole won the toss and chose 1&3. King's Lynn took 2&4 in heat 15