PIRATES’ TOP SPOT CONFIRMED

POOLE secured Championship leadership ahead of the play-offs with a 52-38 home win over Redcar.

The Pirates have qualified for the semi-finals and will now wait to pick their opposition when the quarter-finals are completed.

The Bears currently hold second place in the table but the fixture schedule over the weekend means they are likely to be overtaken and find themselves amongst those quarter-final teams.

Danny King top-scored for the home side with 14 points with Steve Worrall on 13, although Benjamin Basso crashed out after winning his first two rides, suffering rib damage in his Heat 8 fall. Lewis Kerr picked up 12+2 from six rides for the Bears.

King said: “That is job done. We are top of the league and that was our target all along. What it doesn’t mean though is that we can take anything for granted.

“We still haven’t won the title yet and we will have to be on top of our game if we are going to be champions.”

Bears youngster Jordan Jenkins (7+1) said: “It was a good night for me personally, I have only done four races at Poole and I am really happy to get my first heat 15 at Championship level.

“My gating is also improving all the time, I have Ged Rathbone helping me out but that is another part of my game that can still improve.”

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Photo credit: TONY HARTMAN

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