PIRATES END GLADIATORS’ HOPES
POOLE collected their fifth away win in the Cab Direct Championship with a 49-41 victory at Plymouth to end the Gladiators’ play-off hopes.
The league leaders trailed by six points at the halfway stage at the Coliseum but turned things around with 5-1s in Heats 11 and 13.
The Gladiators needed a 5-1 in the last race to force a Super Heat but Richard Lawson and Zach Cook secured the result for the Pirates.
Lawson top scored with 14+2 from six rides and Tom Brennan added 10, whilst Dan Thompson scored 13 for the home side and brother Joe added 10+3 at reserve.
Pirates captain Ben Cook said: “We dialled in in the end, got the run of the decent gates and we did it the hard way.
“It was a close finish, but the boys got the job done. We wanted to get the win, and it is good.”
Gladiators boss Garry May said: “My boys took it to them tonight, and it was only in those last three races where we lost it really.
“Poole are a good side and I think they’ll clean up this year, but my boys rode really well considering the riders we had.”
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Photo credit: DAN WESTLAKE
