Pirates snatch victory at the death against Witches. 10thMay2019
Poole Pirates 46 Ipswich Witches 44
Premiership Supporters Cup Thursday 9th May 2019
Peter Moore at Wimborne Road
Poole Pirates opened their account in this seasons Premiership Supporters Cup with a hard-fought
victory against the visiting Witches on Thursday.
The Pirates had to come from behind to snatch victory with a 5-1 in the final race of the night. The hosts were never ahead on the night and were always struggling after Ipswich opened up the night with a 5-1 in the opening heat, thanks to Richard Lawson and Chris Harris.
Poole had to wait until the fourth heat of the night for their first heat win which came from Nicolai Klindt, despite still trailing by six points. There was a superb race in heat six featuring the British pair of Harris and Scott Nicholls- who was guesting for Poole in place of Brady Kurtz who was injured last night riding in Europe. Nicholls had the edge going into the home straight, but unluckily for him his bike packed up on the line.
It was also looking like it wasn’t to be the Witches Skipper’s night after engine failure in heat three and a nasty crash in the seventh heat that saw the Captain excluded. With a share of the points Poole reduced the deficit to two points, only to see Ipswich fire in a 5-1 in the next heat, compliments of a 1-2 from Jake Allen and Richard Lawson.
When Krystian Pieszczek fell on the opening lap in heat ten it opened up the door for Jack Holder and Richie Worrall to register a 5-1 to level the meeting at 30-30.
Ipswich immediately restored their lead through a 5-1 in the next heat, only for Pirates to repay the compliment with a 5-1 of their own through Josh Grajczonek and Jack Holder to once again draw Pirates level.
In an eventful heat 13 it was the visitors who went back into the lead after Klindt was excluded for touching the tapes. Klindt, was replaced by Nikolaj Busk Jakobsen who fell, leaving Nicholls and Harris in the race of the night as the pair fought out a terrific race with Harris just getting the better of Nicholls to give Ipswich a slender two-point lead with two races remaining.
The points were shared in the penultimate race of the night with Witches holding a two-point advantage going into the final heat of the night.
Team Manager Neil Middleditch nominated Nicholls and Grajczonek, with the pair picking up a 5-1 to win the meeting for Poole.
Poole Pirates
- Holder 11+1, R. Worrall 4+1, N. Klindt 4+1, J. Grajczonek 10+2, S. Nicholls 11, N. Covatti 2, N. Busk Jakobsen 4.
Ipswich Witches
- Harris 9+2, R. Lawson 11+2, D. Bellego 5, K. Pleszczek 7, D. King 0, C. Heeps 3, J. Allen 8+1.
