LEICESTER 46 PIRATES 46

Poole saved their best till last - literally - with a superb move from skipper Hans Andersen to switch back on the first turn and dash towards the inside to join partner Chris Holder at the front to steal a draw for the Pirates.

A result that in the early stages looked beyond the Pirates who often struggled around the first turn and were finding life difficult away from the tapes. Andersen himself encountered problems in the opening heat, the Dane being switched to the number one berth in place of Chris Holder as the Dorset side tried to shuffle their options.

Brady Kurtz's win in heat 2 and Bjarne Pedersen's heat victory, which was met with derisive cheers from his former club's fans, were the only positives from the first half of the meeting as they rapidly fell behind by 12 points  by the end of heat 8.

A tactical ride for Pedersen and a reserve switch, Kurtz coming in for guest Steve Worrall looked to be in vain as Lions' skipper Nicolai Klindt staved off his fellow countryman, but the resulting 5-3 due to Pedersen's double points did at least trim something off the deficit.

Andersen, supported by an excellent first bend move by Buczkowski then fired in a massive 5-1 for the Pirates and a fast trapping Chris Holder ensured a share of the spoils from the pre-interval heat, leaving Poole six down at the break.

Worrall clearly benefited from the extra time between his rides as he stormed to victory in heat 12 and Kurtz's third place helped the Pirates' cause no end. A super 5-1 from Holder and Andersen in heat 13 levelled the meeting but Leicester's response was a maximum heat of their own through Summers, who had felt the full force of the track when squeezed out at the first turn on the first attempt to stage heat 14. He was joined by the solid scoring Szymon Woznyiak to leave Poole requiring another Holder/Andersen one-two to gain the draw.

The Pirate pair, both of whom had started the meeting in a sub-standard manner, finished in fine style to allow the Pirates to retain their second place in the league, a point behind leaders Lakeside, as Wolverhampton went down 44-46 at Coventry.

LEICESTER 46
P. Hougaard 3,0,2,0=5
J. Auty 2',0,0=2+1
A. Summers 0,2',0,3=5+1
S. Wozniak 3,3,3,2',0=11+1
R. Lawson 3,2,1,1,1=8
N. Klindt 2,3,3,1',R=9+1
P. Starke 1',1,2',2=6+2
Poole 46
H. Andersen R,1,3,3,2'=9+1
K. Buckowski 1,1',0,2'=4+2
A. Ellis 1',1,0=2+1
B. Pedersen 2,3,4,1=10
C. Holder 2,0,3,2',3=10+1
B. Kurtz 3,2,1,1',1=8+1
S. Worrall 0,R,3,0=3

Ht 1 P. Hougaard J. Auty K. Buckowski H. Andersen (Rtd) 5-1 (5-1) (62.5)
Ht 2 B. Kurtz N. Klindt P. Starke S. Worrall 3-3 (8-4) (62.13)
Ht 3 R. Lawson C. Holder A. Ellis A. Summers 3-3 (11-7) (62.5)
Ht 4 S. Wozniak B. Pedersen P. Starke S. Worrall (Rtd) 4-2 (15-9) (62.87)
Ht 5 N. Klindt B. Kurtz K. Buckowski J. Auty 3-3 (18-12) (62.13)
Ht 6 S. Wozniak A. Summers H. Andersen C. Holder 5-1 (23-13) (63)
Ht 7 B. Pedersen R. Lawson A. Ellis P. Hougaard 2-4 (25-17) (63.01)
Ht 8 S. Wozniak P. Starke B. Kurtz K. Buckowski 5-1 (30-18) (62.62)
Ht 9 N. Klindt B. Pedersen (TR) B. Kurtz J. Auty 3-5 (33-23) (62.13)
Ht 10 H. Andersen K. Buckowski R. Lawson A. Summers 1-5 (34-28) (62.56)
Ht 11 C. Holder P. Hougaard N. Klindt A. Ellis 3-3 (37-31) (62.81)
Ht 12 S. Worrall P. Starke B. Kurtz N. Klindt (Rtd) 2-4 (39-35) (62.64)
Ht 13 H. Andersen C. Holder R. Lawson P. Hougaard 1-5 (40-40) (62.94)
Ht 14 A. Summers S. Wozniak B. Pedersen S. Worrall 5-1 (45-41) (63.28)
Ht 15 C. Holder H. Andersen R. Lawson S. Wozniak 1-5 (46-46) (63.06)

Referee Dale Entwistle
Gates: Leicester win toss and take 2&4. Poole take 2&4 in heat 15
LEICESTER 1 league point Poole 2 league points