A SUPERB showing from reserves Kyle Newman and Paul Starke helped propel Pirates to a 52-38 win at Leicester – and handed the Elite League reigning champions their choice of play-off semi-final opponents.

Swindon's 49-41 home victory over Coventry meant that Neil Middleditch's men needed only a draw from their trip to Beaumont Park to top the pile but in the event the result was much more emphatic.

Leicester suffered hugely in the absence of Grzegorz Walasek, who withdrew following an early spill, and Newman and Starke seized their chance to shine while skipper Maciej Janowski was also exemplary.

Pirates face one more regular-season meeting against Swindon on Monday before they take on either the Robins, Coventry, Belle Vue or King's Lynn in the semi-finals seven days later.

But for now the Poole camp can reflect on a job well done that kept hopes of a third straight title well and truly on track.

An early setback in the opener was quickly put right when Newman and Starke brushed aside opposite numbers Simon Lambert and Carl Wilkinson with a maximum in heat two.

Lions suffered a huge body blow next when number three Walasek collided with Dakota North at the first turn and withdrew from the meeting due to injury.

Guest Nicolai Klindt was Walasek's injury replacement but he trailed at the back as Janowski and North banked a second maximum in a row, the latter blasting between the home duo on turn two.

Kacper Gomolski, sensational 24 hours earlier against King's Lynn, had a rough start as he fell in his opening ride, the heat advantage going Lions' way.

The next race was a shared affair and then Pirates increased to six points their lead as Janowski took the chequered flag, backed up by Chris Holder in third.

Leicester number one Jason Doyle and Szymon Wozniak bit back with a 4-2 after the track grading but then Davey Watt roared to his first win, with Starke continuing his impressive work just behind.

Gomolski roared into life as he and Newman secured the visitors' fourth 5-1 and suddenly Leicester had a 12-point deficit to make up.

They instantly set about their task with an awarded maximum and North's spill in heat 11 appeared to hand Lions the initiative, only for Poole skipper Janowski to prevent damage with a re-run victory.

Another maximum from Starke and Newman teed Pirates up nicely and although Leicester rallied with a 4-2 in heat 13, which featured a lively scrap between Doyle and Janowski, the visitors were not to be denied.

North and Gomolski slammed in yet another maximum which assured Poole of four points, rendering the final showdown irrelevant.

Doyle completed a near-perfect card as he took the chequered flag with Janowski and North trailing close behind.

LIONS 38: 1 Jason Doyle (3-3-2-3- 3) 14, 2 Nicolai Klindt, guest (1-0- 3-1-1*-0) 6+1, 3 Grzegorz Walasek (f, withdrawn) 0, 4 Piotr Swiderski (3-r-1-2*-r) 6+1, 5 Szymon Wozniak (1-1-3-1-1) 7, 6 Simon Lambert (1-0-0-0) 1, 7 Carl Wilkinson guest (0-1-2-0-1) 4. Team manager: Norrie Allan.

PIRATES 52: 1 Chris Holder (2-1-f-0) 3, 2 Davey Watt (0-1*-3-1) 5+1, 3 Dakota North (2*-2-f-3-1*) 8+2, 4 Kacper Gomolski (f-0-3-2*) 5+1, 5 Maciej Janowski (3-3-3-2-2) 13, 6 Paul Starke (2*-2-2*-3) 9+2, 7 Kyle Newman (3-2-2*-2*) 9+2. Team manager: Neil Middleditch.

HT 1: Doyle, Holder, Klindt, Watt, 62.00 (4-2)

HT 2: Newman, Starke, Lambert, Wilkinson, 63.06 (5-7)

HT 3 (RE-RUN): Janowski, North, Wozniak, Klindt, 61.31 (6-12)

HT 4: Swiderski, Newman, Wilkinson, Gomolski (fell), 63.44 (10-14)

HT 5: Klindt, Starke, Watt, Lambert, 61.69 (13-17)

HT 6: Janowski, Wilkinson, Holder, Swiderski (retired), 60.94 (15-21)

HT 7 (RE-RUN): Doyle, North, Wozniak, Gomolski, 61.68 (19-23)

HT 8: Watt, Starke, Swiderski, Wilkinson, 63.13 (20-28)

HT 9: Gomolski, Newman, Klindt, Lambert, 63.69 (21-33)

HT 10 (AWARDED): Wozniak, Swiderski, Watt, Holder (fell) (26-34)

HT 11 (RE-RUN): Janowski, Doyle, Klindt, North (fell/dsq), 61.12 (29- 37)

HT 12: Starke, Newman, Wilkinson, Lambert, 63.19 (30-42)

HT 13: Doyle, Janowski, Wozniak, Holder, 61.75 (34-44)

HT 14: North, Gomolski, Wozniak, Swiderski (retired), 63.25 (35-49)

HT 15: Doyle, Janowski, North, Klindt, 61.99 (38-52)

ECHO STAR RIDER – PAUL STARKE

HE HAS had his ups and downs but Paul Starke has more often than not this season been the second reserve that Pirates had lacked in the 2014 campaign.

Leicester was one of Starke’s finest hours, the Somerset ace and fellow reserve Kyle Newman pulling apart the modest challenge posed by opposite numbers Simon Lambert and Carl Wilkinson.

Three of the four heats in which Starke rode resulted in Pirates maximums – no mean feat.