PIRATES HELD TO LEAD OF FOUR
POOLE were held to a 47-43 home win by Berwick leaving their MAXiCab KO Cup semi-final fascinatingly poised at the halfway stage.
The Pirates were never allowed to race away with the tie, although they did look set for a useful advantage when Lewis Kerr and Kyle Newman combined for a 5-1 in Heat 12 to put them ten points up.
However, after a Bandits 4-2 in Heat 13 the home side saw Cooper Rushen disqualified from Heat 14 with Berwick guest Leon Flint and Nick Morris then racing to a key 5-1 in Heat 15 to further reduce the arrears.
Reserve Will Cairns top scored for the Pirates with 11 and Kerr added 10 despite a Heat 5 fall, whilst Flint scored 10+1 and Morris 9+1 in a hard-working Bandits display ahead of Saturday’s second leg.
Kerr said: “They are a very good side this year and we can’t take anything away from them. But a lot of things didn’t go our way tonight.
“For me, hitting that hole down the bottom there that knocked my chain off when it was a potential maximum win. It’s always going to be tough when you get those.
“The conditions were tough and the track staff did a great job getting the track to where it was. But, in terms of going forward, it is just the mindset we always have as a unit and that will be to go there, win and reach the Final.”
Bandits boss Stewart Dickson said: “We’ve achieved nothing yet, we’re still behind in the tie.
“Poole have a good record around Shielfield Park and are sure to come hard at us. We will have to be on the top of our game with no room for error.”
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Photo credit: TONY HARTMAN
