Pirates made to work hard for home win over Edinburgh

POOLE Pirates were again made to work hard to record a home win over rock-bottom Edinburgh Monarchs at Wimborne Road.

Promoter Danny Ford warned the standings were “misleading”, insisting it would be a “tough” meeting for Poole, especially given the Scots had pushed Pirates close in the Knockout Cup earlier this year.

And that certainly proved to be the case, the highest leading margin Poole had managed all night being just six points, until a late flurry secured a 50-40 success.

Richard Lawson (12) and Tom Brennan (10+1) led the charge for the hosts, while Justin Sedgmen (14) stole the show for the Monarchs.

The win lifts Poole up to second in the SGB Championship table, two points behind Oxford Cheetahs, with two meetings in hand. They will look to add the bonus point to their tally in the reverse meeting at Armadale next month.

Poole Pirates pair called up by Great Britain

Pirates welcomed Max Perry back as a guest, a month on from dropping him from the team. He covered for the injured Vinnie Foord at reserve.

Lawson got Poole off to a winning start, with Kye Thomson going wheel-to-wheel with fit-again Tobias Thomsen and coming out on top. Monarchs number one Josh Pickering had troubles at the back.

Sam Hagon then won by a stretch in the reserves race, Perry getting ahead of Max James in third.

Zach Cook produced an impressive ride to take heat three, his brother Ben making a poor start but getting up to third to split the Monarchs pair.

Edinburgh’s deficit stayed at six points after some unfortunate luck in heat four, Connor Coles losing power on the final corner, allowing Perry through to take third, as Sedgmen claimed the visitors’ first race win of the night.

That marked the start of five shared heats in succession.

Thomson emerged victorious in the all Aussie battle, Pickering again flailing at the back.

Sedgmen and Brennan then each claimed a race win, before a nasty moment for Thomsen in heat eight.

The Dane, only just back from an ankle issue, was sent flying into the fence as he looked to pass Thomson and Hagon on the back straight.

Edinburgh got their first advantage with a 4-2 in heat nine, Sedgmen continuing his fine night, while tactical substitute Pickering split the Cook brothers.

Captain Paco Castagna then produced an impressive display to defeat Lawson, before Brennan did the same ahead of Pickering as the narrow four-point margin remained.

Poole managed to edge further ahead at 39-33 after a re-run heat 12. Perry suffered a nasty spill, bumped into the fence on the home straight by fellow youngster James, who was excluded.

Ben Cook eased to victory in the second staging on the race.

Sedgmen sealed his fourth win of succession in the power-packed heat 13, before Poole got the job done in the penultimate heat, Zach Cook claiming his second victory of the evening.

Pirates then secured a double-digit margin in an exciting heat 15, Lawson becoming the first man to beat Sedgmen all night, while Brennan won a close battle with Castagna in the minor placings.

Pirates 50: Lawson 12, Thomsen 3+2, B Cook 7+1, Z Cook 8, Brennan 10+1, Hagon 7, Perry 3+1.

Edinburgh 40: Pickering 3, Thomson 8+1, Fredriksen 3+1, Castagna 9, Sedgmen 14, James 0, Coles 3+1.