PIRATES CLINCH LEAGUE TITLE

POOLE completed the double at Championship level for the second successive season by retaining the league title with a Grand Final victory over Leicester.

The Pirates led by eight points heading into the second leg on the neutral territory of King’s Lynn, and were initially put under pressure with their overall advantage cut to two points in the early stages.

But they then pulled away for a 52-38 win on the night, and a 22-point aggregate triumph, with Richard Lawson collecting a 14+1 paid maximum from five rides.

Steve Worrall won three races as he scored 11 from four, whilst the contributions of the in-form Cook brothers were also key as Zach scored nine and Ben added 8+3.

Nick Morris top-scored for the Lions with 7+1 as they ran out of race winners after their early flourish, except for a consolation 5-1 in Heat 14 from the Thompson twins.

Pirates boss Neil Middleditch said: “It was a brilliant performance from the boys. We came here with eight, and I would have liked more to be honest, and in the first couple of races Leicester hit the ground running, but the boys got it back together and the result is there.

“Everybody played their part but Ben and Zach in the engine room of the team were fantastic, and Richard Lawson believe it or not has never won a league title, I’m so pleased for him as well, and I’m so proud of them all.”

Stand-in Lions manager Garry May said: “We started off well, we were getting out of the gate, but then the Poole boys got dialled in, and it was hard from there.

“Poole are a good side, they’ve got five or six good riders who can get you points, so we were up against it all the time.

“It was an honour to do the job for Stewart (Dickson). He’s such a good manager and it’s a shame he’s ill, but we couldn’t really do much tonight – Poole were on fire, the Leicester boys tried hard, but we just couldn’t do it.”

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Photo credit: DEREK LEADER