POOLE Pirates are in the box seat for a sixth straight Elite League play-off final but could rue dropping an eight-point lead in the last two heats of a tight draw at Coventry.

Neil Middleditch’s men led for most of the first leg and looked like stamping their authority on proceedings before Hans Andersen and Danny King retrieved some momentum with a pair of maximums for Bees at the death.

The close nature of the encounter was encapsulated by contact between Chris Harris and Chris Holder on the first bend of the opener before Poole’s Aussie ace eased to an early maximum alongside Davey Watt. 

But in the first reserve heat, Coventry's Jason Garrity battled to pass Paul Starke and file in behind winner James Sarjeant to immediately level matters. 

Maciej Janowski opened up a solid lead which he held throughout heat three but backmarker Dakota North could not get the better of guest Freddie Lindgren. 

Kacper Gomolski got off to a flier but after an epic battle, Kyle Newman was just pipped to second by Andersen round the outside of the final bend to limit Poole’s heat-four haul.

Garrity then steamed round Newman and Gomolski before holding his nerve to steal first in a shared race.

The Bees surprisingly hit the front in heat six but Janowski stole a march on King by the end of the first lap to ensure the hosts could only level  matters.

Coventry took the lead for the first time when Harris led throughout and Lindgren won a nip-and-tuck tussle at the back with North.

Worse was to follow for Pirates as the impressive Andersen seized the initiative with Sarjeant easily passing Starke for a third consecutive Coventry 4-2. 

But just as the Bees began to buzz, Gomolski continued his excellent evening behind Newman with Garrity powerless to prevent a second Poole 5-1, despite another sterling effort round the outside.

And after King was excluded for a nasty spill in heat 10, Holder chaperoned Watt for another maximum to establish a four-point cushion for Pirates.

Garrity replaced the pointless Howarth for heat 11 but walloped the safety fence. With all four back, Janowski just nudged in front of Garrity with the out-of-sorts North bringing up the rear.

Starke came off in the second reserve heat but Newman held off his Bees adversaries to win before Janowski controlled matters from second place as Holder led another 5-1 in heat 13.

Coventry looked done for but King won from gate four with Andersen in second to halve the deficit and then saw off big-hitters Janowski and Holder in the finale to claw back a draw at the last. 

Coventry Bees 45:

1 Chris Harris (1-3-1*-1) 6+1

2 Kyle Howarth (0-0-0) 0

3 Danny King (2-1-fx-3-2*) 8+1

4 Hans Andersen (2-3-3-2*-3) 13+1

5 Freddie Lindgren (guest) (1*-1-1-0) 3+1

6 Jason Garrity (2*-0-3-1-2-1*) 9+2

7 James Sarjeant (3-tps-1-2) 6

Team manager: Gary Havelock.

Poole Pirates 45:

1 Chris Holder (2*-0-2-3-1) 8+2

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

3 Dakota North (0-0-0) 0

4 Kacper Gomolski (3-2-2*-1) 8+1

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

6 Paul Starke (0-tps-0-ret) 0

7 Kyle Newman (1-1-2-3-3-0) 10

Team manager: Neil Middleditch.

Referee: Chris Durno.

Heat details

Ht 1: Watt, Holder, Harris, Howarth (1-5)

Ht 2: Sarjeant, Garrity, Newman, Starke (6-6)

Ht 3: Janowski, King, Lindgren, North (9-9)

Ht 4: (re-run) Gomolski, Andersen, Newman, Garrity (Sarjeant, tapes) (11-13)

Ht 5: (re-run) Garrity, Newman, Watt, Howarth (Starke, tapes) (14-16)

Ht 6: Andersen, Janowski, King, Holder (18-18)

Ht 7: Harris, Gomolski, Lindgren, North (22-20)

Ht 8: Andersen, Watt, Sarjeant, Starke (26-22)

Ht 9: Newman, Gomolski, Garrity, Howarth (27-27)

Ht 10: (re-run) Watt, Holder, Lindgren, King (fell, excluded) (28-32)

Ht 11: (re-run) Janowski, Garrity, Harris, North (31-35)

Ht 12: Newman, Sarjeant, Garrity, Starke (retired) (34-38)

Ht 13: Holder, Janowski, Harris, Lindgren (35-43)

Ht 14: (re-run) King, Andersen, Gomolski, Newman (40-44)

Ht 15: Andersen, King, Holder, Janowski (45-45)

ECHO STAR RIDER: KACPER GOMOLSKI

Many may have wondered about the Polish rookie’s readiness for an Elite League play-off but Gomolski, who added more a point and a half to his average during the regular season, repaid promoter Matt Ford’s faith in spades at Brandon. 

Gating was the key for Poole’s number four, weighing in with eight precious points at crucial times against the likes of Hans Andersen and guest Freddie Lindgren. 

Proof, as if it were needed, that support from your second string is a crucial part of claiming silverware.