Poole Pirates v Leicester Lions

LEICESTER smashed Poole’s 23-match unbeaten home run with a 47-43 victory in Wednesday’s top-of-the-table clash at Wimborne Road.

The Lions are now eight points clear at the top of the Championship after their seventh win in succession, and their fourth on the road in that period.

Reserve Dan Thompson was the hero for the visitors as he piled up 11+2, with skipper Kyle Howarth adding 11 as the Lions led throughout the meeting and sealed their win with Thompson’s second place in Heat 14.

Richard Lawson scored 13+1 for the Pirates with Steve Worrall on 12, but Thompson’s dominance at reserve swung the meeting.

Lions boss Stewart Dickson said: “I don’t know if I’m doing a dis-service to my riders to say it’s a surprising result, but it was a really pleasing result and performance.

“We started very strongly, and to make them use a tactical at home says something about the way we’re racing at the moment.

“I don’t like to single riders out, but Dan Thompson does deserve special praise, especially for Heat 12 when he beat Steve Worrall, and that was the catalyst to get us over the line. To take a scalp like that was very impressive.”

Lawson said: “Sadly it didn’t go our way tonight and I apologise to the fans for that. We were trying everything all night but some things just didn’t happen, but I am sure that we will learn from this and we won’t be repeating this.

“We know what to do and what not to do, and we are determined to put things right.”

“There is no doubt that we are a good team and will be continuing our fight for top spot and we have it in us to achieve that.”

CHAMPIONSHIP
POOLE 43: Richard Lawson 13+1, Steve Worrall 12, Zach Cook 7, Ben Cook 5+1, Danny King 4, Drew Kemp 2, Nathan Ablitt 0
LEICESTER 47: Dan Thompson 11+2, Kyle Howarth 11, Richie Worrall 9, Nick Morris 9, Connor Mountain 5+2, Ben Morley 2+1, Joe Thompson 0
Championship points: Poole 0 Leicester 3

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