MASTER Matej Zagar and his familiar apprentice Josh Grajczonek combined to aid Belle Vue’s fight back from a 10-point deficit to trump Poole Pirates. 

The Aces duo roared to three race wins apiece with Zagar’s heat-seven double-up swinging the pendulum on a topsy turvy night at Kirkmanshulme Lane. 

Pirates charger Davey Watt stood out for the visitors but not enough of Neil Middleditch’s men stepped up as a bumper early lead drained away in Manchester.

Watt took the opener from the gate with Chris Holder in third to nudge Pirates in front from the outset before Kyle Newman and Paul Starke blitzed their way to a 5-1 in the first reserve heat. 

Maciej Janowski ensured the flying start continued, allowing Dakota North to cruise to victory while seeing off pressure from Scott Nicholls to pouch another maximum.

Pirates asset Grajczonek hit straight back to lead a 5-1 for the Aces as backmarker Kacper Gomolski kicked off with a fall that was to sum up his night.

Watt and Starke struggled to synchronise in heat five with the former just holding on having ran wide but the pair still snared a shared heat behind winner Max Fricke. 

Janowski and Holder then powered past Craig Cook on the first bend to open up a 10-point cushion for the second time inside six races.

Stunned Belle Vue boss Mark Lemon deployed  Slovenian number one Zagar on a tactical ride and the gamble paid dividends with an 8-1 alongside Scott Nicholls.

With just three points separating the sides, Grajczonek won from the gate and Aces then grabbed the lead for the first time with a heat-nine maximum as Newman wobbled and the luckless Gomolski again fell.

There was hope when Nicholls fell in heat 10 with original leader Holder gating in the re-run, pinning Cook behind him as Watt zipped round.

But the pendulum swung again as Zagar cut back on Janowski and reduced to two the home side’s arrears.

Newman did all he could with victory from the gate in heat 12 but the determined Steve Worrall passed Starke to take third in a vital intervention on lap three. 

The irrepressible Zagar stole a march on Janowski in heat 13 with Holder’s second spot not enough to keep Pirates ahead. 

Newman stepped up to ride in heat 14 but was beaten by Cook and Grajczonek’s hat-trick of race wins was all but enough for the hosts.

Holder’s fall in the first re-run of the nominated heat put Poole’s single point at risk but Janowski, all alone at the third attempt, won to grasp the consolation prize.

RIDER SCORES AND HEAT DETAILS

BELLE VUE 49

1 Matej Zagar (2-6^-3-3-2) 16

2 Max Fricke (0-3-2*-1) 6+1

3 Craig Cook (0-1-1-2*) 4+1

4 Josh Grajczonek (3-0-3-3-1*) 10+1

5 Scott Nicholls (1-2*-fx-1) 4+1

6 Steve Worrall (fx-0-3-1*) 4+1

7 Stefan Nielsen (1-2*-0-2) 5+1

Team manager: Mark Lemon

POOLE PIRATES 44

 1 Chris Holder (1-2*-3-2-fx) 8+1

2 Davey Watt (3-2-2-2*) 9+1

3 Dakota North (3-1-0-r) 4

4 Kacper Gomolski (0-0-f) 0

5 Maciej Janowski (2*-3-2-0-3)10+1

6 Paul Starke (2*-1*-1*-0) 4+3

7 Kyle Newman (3-1-1-3-1) 9

Team manager: Neil Middleditch

Ht 1: Watt, Zagar, Holder, Fricke, 58.6 (2-4)

Ht 2: (re-run) Newman, Starke, Nielsen, Worrall (fell, exc), 60.9 (3-9)

Ht 3: (re-run) North, Janowski, Nicholls, Cook, 59.7 (4-14)

Ht 4: Grajczonek, Nielsen, Newman, Gomolski (fell, r/m), 60.6 (9-15)

Ht 5: Fricke, Watt, Starke, Worrall, 60.9 (12-18)

Ht 6: Janowski, Holder, Cook, Grajczonek, 59.5 (13-23)

Ht 7: Zagar (tactical ride), Nicholls, North, Gomolski, 59.4 (21-24)

Ht 8: Grajczonek, Watt, Starke, Nielsen, 60.8 (24-27)

Ht 9: Worrall, Fricke, Newman, Gomolski (fell), 61.3 (29-18)

Ht 10: (re-run) Holder, Watt, Cook, Nicholls (fell, exc), 61.0 (30-33)

Ht 11: Zagar, Janowski, Fricke, North, 59.5 (34-35)

Ht 12: Newman, Nielsen, Worrall, Starke, 61.3 (37-38)

Ht 13: Zagar, Holder, Nicholls, Janowski, 59.9 (41-40)

Ht 14: Grajczonek, Cook, Newman, North (retired), 61.8 (46-41)

Ht 15: Janowski, Zagar, Grajczonek, Holder (fell, exc), 60.5 (49-44)

ELITE LEAGUE POINTS: Belle Vue Aces 3, Poole Pirates 1.