PIRATES TAKE CHARGE

MAXiCAB Knockout Cup holders Poole took a big step towards the semi-finals with a 49-39 win in an incident-packed meeting at Oxford on Wednesday.

The Pirates’ 16-year-old reserves Will Cairns and Cooper Rushen both put in spectacular displays with Cairns scoring 14+1 from six rides despite suffering a wrist injury in a Heat 9 spill from which the home side’s Anders Rowe was disqualified.

Rushen scored 8+1 from five but was also involved in a multiple pile-up at the end of Heat 8 when leader Luke Killeen lifted off the final bend, the Oxford rider taking no further part in the meeting.

Cheetahs skipper Sam Masters scored 14 from five rides whilst Lewis Kerr also reached double figures for the Pirates with 10+1.

Poole boss Neil Middleditch said: “The track was changing with the weather conditions and we began well, but they came back at us equally as well, and the meeting could have gone either way at the mid-point.

“But we kept plugging away and there were some talking points for sure, but the referee quite sensibly and fairly took his time to review the footage each time before making his call, and you really can’t argue with that.

“We are not there yet but I am much happier stood here with a ten-point lead than a ten-point defeat. We will have to finish the job at Wimborne Road next Wednesday and take nothing for granted.”

Masters said: “We beat Poole well last time around here and Pirates were clearly better prepared this time.

“The weather made it very difficult to set up our bikes – the track was dry in my first ride in Heat 1 and then there was a hailstorm during my second ride in Heat 6!

“There was no lack of effort from the boys, but it simply wasn’t our night. We haven’t given up the tie yet, because there’s still 15 races to go at Poole next Wednesday.”

Watch the action from the Heat 3 (courtesy of OXFORD SPEEDWAY TV | https://livestream.oxfordspeedway.club)

OFFICIAL REFEREE SCORECARD
Available here

Photo credit: STEVE EDMUNDS