LAKESIDE 44 PIRATES 48

Poole Ready Power Pirates saved Lakeside from a home hammering when the visitors capitulated over the final three heats but still managed to inflict a third straight home defeat on the usually powerful Purfleet Hammers.

The Pirates' 48-44 victory was enough to move the Dorset side into second place in the Elite league table, seven points behind early pacesetters Coventry who have ridden two more matches than the Pirates.

Never trailing, the Pirates hit the Hammers hard from the off with Aussie duo Dave Watt and Chris Holder opening with a 4-2 and small track specialist Lewis Blackbird, guesting for injured Kyle Newman, and Paul Starke going even better with a 5-1 in heat 2. The third turn of the opening lap of heat 3 was immensely tight but the experienced Peter Karlsson held his own to come through on top but a drop in position for Dakota North, before falling, meant the Pirates were unable to widen their lead.

Blackbird saved Poole from a 5-1 reversal with a pass on Boxall and the Hammers made it back to back heat gains when Nilsson stormed away from Chris Holder whilst Starke was suffering mechanically. The rider allocation for heat 6 couldn't have been better for Poole with Lakeside old-boys Karlsson and Watt combining as they had done many times in the past for a 5-1, but to the chagrin of the home fans this occasion it was to inflict a 5-1 on the Hammers. North was on-song in the 7th and Gomolski had an easier opportunity to come to terms with the small track when Kennett tumbled unaided at the first turn.

Holder was extremely sharp in heat 8 but Starke hadn't been able to resolve his gremlins as the margin stayed at 8 in Poole's favour. Kim Nilsson's efforts to re-pass Blackbird effectively didn't harm the Pirates as it served to delay the Hammers option of using the black and white, but when Watt and Holder went either side of Bech in heat 10 the first thing on Neil Vatcher's mind was to find Nilsson and inform him that he would be going for double points in the 11th.

North though dug deep and rode impressively to hold off incessant pressure from the home side for much of the heat, Karlsson totally negating the effect of the tactical by passing guest Schlein late on for a 4-4 drawn heat.

As with heat 2 the Poole reserves were just much too hot for the Hammers in heat 12, Ellis' retirement somewhat inconsequential and Poole had secured yet another away victory.

But then on a day when so many slumps had been suffered politically, the Pirates suffered an almighty one of their own. Beaten by a closing treble of 5-1 home scores they were thankful they had amassed a large enough lead but could come to rue the loss of that extra point they could have banked had they held on to at least 7 of their earlier advantage.

Lakeside 44
R. Schlein 0,2,0,2'=4+1
K. Nilsson 2,3,3,4,2'=14+1
M. Bech 2,0,1,2'=5+1
R. Lawson 3,1,2,3,3=12
E. Kennett 1',0,R,3=4+1
A. Ellis 0,1,1',R=2+1
S. Boxall 1,1,0,1=3
POOLE 48
D. Watt 3,2',2',0=7+2
C. Holder 1,2,3,3,1=10
D. North F,3,3,R=6
K. Gomolski 0,1,1'=2+1
P. Karlsson 3,3,1,1,0=8
P. Starke 2',R,R,2'=4+2
L. Blackbird 3,2,2,3,1=11

Ht 1 D. Watt K. Nilsson C. Holder R. Schlein 2-4 (2-4) (57.9)
Ht 2 L. Blackbird P. Starke S. Boxall A. Ellis 1-5 (3-9) (60.2)
Ht 3 P. Karlsson M. Bech E. Kennett D. North (Fell) 3-3 (6-12) (AWD)
Ht 4 R. Lawson L. Blackbird S. Boxall K. Gomolski 4-2 (10-14) (60)
Ht 5 K. Nilsson C. Holder A. Ellis P. Starke (Rtd) 4-2 (14-16) (58.9)
Ht 6 P. Karlsson D. Watt R. Lawson M. Bech 1-5 (15-21) (58.6)
Ht 7 D. North R. Schlein K. Gomolski E. Kennett 2-4 (17-25) (59.9)
Ht 8 C. Holder R. Lawson A. Ellis P. Starke (Rtd) 3-3 (20-28) (59.1)
Ht 9 K. Nilsson L. Blackbird K. Gomolski S. Boxall 3-3 (23-31) (59.8)
Ht 10 C. Holder D. Watt M. Bech E. Kennett (Rtd) 1-5 (24-36) (59)
Ht 11 D. North K. Nilsson (TR) P. Karlsson R. Schlein 4-4 (28-40) (60.3)
Ht 12 L. Blackbird P. Starke S. Boxall A. Ellis (Rtd) 1-5 (29-45) (60.3)
Ht 13 E. Kennett R. Schlein P. Karlsson D. Watt 5-1 (34-46) (60.3)
Ht 14 R. Lawson M. Bech L. Blackbird D. North (Rtd) 5-1 (39-47) (59.9)
Ht 15 R. Lawson K. Nilsson C. Holder P. Karlsson 5-1 (44-48) (59.9)

Referee Jim Lawrence
Gates:  Poole won the toss and took 1&3 in heat 1.Lakeside took 1&3 in heat 15
Lakeside 0 league points POOLE 3 league points