PIRATES MARCH CLEAR

POOLE extended their lead at the top of the Cab Direct Championship to eight points with a 53-37 win over Edinburgh.

The result, however, does not tell the full story of the meeting as the Monarchs threatened an upset when they led by two points after seven races, having provided five heat winners.

However, the Pirates rattled off a hat-trick of 5-1s between Heats 8-10 to turn the meeting in their favour, and the victory also secured the aggregate point for the defending champions.

Richard Lawson scored 13+1 with Lewis Kerr adding ten before shedding a chain in Heat 15 when he was set for a 5-1 with Lawson. Paco Castagna won his opening two outings and finished with 10 for the Monarchs.

Poole skipper Zach Cook (7+3) said: “Everyone grouped together and turned it around in the second half and gave us a solid win here.

“We said after the weekend that we would put that Workington defeat behind us and move on, and everyone dug deep and showed what we can really do.”

Monarchs boss John Campbell said: “After such a good start it’s disappointing what the final score was.

“We did really well in the first seven heats but we weren’t good in the last eight, so it is a disappointing evening and end after a promising start.”

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Photo credit: TONY HARTMAN