PERHAPS Mick Horton has more foresight than anyone realised.

The Coventry promoter’s comments on Poole Pirates being granted a guest facility for Dakota North, whose father was involved in a serious industrial accident on Friday, were, at very best, insensitive.

Horton’s foot sank further into a murky swamp of poor judgement as Coventry’s press release went on, questioning why North was still in the UK and whether the Aussie would have been mentally fit to ride in the home leg had he scored more points at Brandon on Friday.

The unfair slur smacked of self preservation with the Bees missing star reserve Jason Garrity and opting for rider replacement instead of using Wolves star Freddie Lindgren for the injured Joonas Kylmakorpi.

Maybe Horton knew the writing was on the wall long before the trip to Wimborne Road – it certainly was after they arrived.

But getting in his excuses early, irrespective of the consequences, only served to fire up a Pirates side that needed no incentive to swat Horton and the usually pesky Bees.

And how it must have stung to see insatiable guest Edward Kennett post nine points, his contribution also coming at crucial stages of the meeting.

 


Matters got off to a controversial start as Chris Harris leaned into Chris Holder from the gate but all four riders returned to tapes, much to the anger of the home crowd.

A tapes malfunction caused two further restarts but Holder and Davey Watt blitzed out of the traps to run away with a nerve-settling Pirates maximum.

Last-minute Coventry stand-in Adam Ellis took the first reserve heat with ease but was followed by Pirates duo Kyle Newman and Paul Starke in a shared heat.

Maciej Janowski turned on the style in race three, gating before protecting team-mate for the night Kennett but just got beaten to second by the battling Harris on the final lap.

James Sarjeant then burst the tapes and was replaced by Ellis, who brought up the rear when he came off in an awarded heat won by in-form Gomolski, the Pole gating with Newman before Hans Andersen scrapped back to claim two points.

Watt pinned Kyle Howarth behind him in heat five and while Starke could not quite catch up for a 5-1, Poole took their lead to double figures.

Coventry boss Gary Havelock immediately responded by sending out Harris on a tactical ride and it proved a pivotal heat with Kennett beating Bomber to the gate before an epic tussle for first.

Harris looked to have the advantage on turn three of the final lap but bailed out with Gomolski cruising into place for an unexpected Pirates maximum that made the gap an unassailable 14 points.

 


The thrilling racing continued with Holder seeing off King and Janowski in third before Gomolski made a flying start to heat eight while Newman whistled round the outside to blow the chasm even wider.

Starke struggled from the gate but followed Watt for a shared heat nine comfortably taken by Andersen before a nip-and-tuck 10th race was taken from Kennett by Harris on lap three with Janowski in third.

Holder was on course for another easy triumph when he hit the deck due to a snapped chain, with the awarded race taken by compatriot Watt whose adjustment to avoid his team-mate had to be seen to be believed.

 


Starke was the toast of Wimborne Road, taking the second reserve heat by storm to make certain of victory, while Janowski won heat 13 on his own from Howarth after Holder and Harris endured mechanical problems.

Andersen appeared to jump the start of the penultimate race but he was still beaten by that man Gomolski and Kennett added another point to his tidy haul.

Hero-of-the-hour Gomolski was sent out with Watt for the nominated race with the Pole defending a paid maximum on arguably the biggest night of his British career.

He couldn’t quite manage it but it mattered not, the Pirates had long since done it again, sending Mr Horton and his distasteful comments packing and book a final with Belle Vue which kicks off next week at Kirkmanshulme Lane.

The triumph must have tasted like nectar for the Pirates – and at least Coventry’s chief has two extra weeks before next season to think about what he says. 

STAR RIDER - KACPER GOMOLSKI

A DIFFICULT decision following a near-perfect team display but Poole’s number four simply has to take the plaudits.

Let’s not forget this lad arrived with less than four points on his average and was the subject of intense speculation when Pirates wobbled on the road in July.

With 68 points in nine meetings, including 20 across two legs against Coventry, he has proved his worth. Another stellar show helped guide his side to the final.

HEAT DETAILS AND RIDER SCORES

Poole Pirates 58 (103):

1 Chris Holder (3-3-f-r) 6

2 Davey Watt (2*-3-2-3-2) 12+1

3 Edward Kennett (guest) (3-3-2-1) 9

4 Kacper Gomolski (3-2*-3-3-1*) 12+2

5 Maciej Janowski (1-1-1*-3) 6+1

6 Paul Starke (2-1-1*-3) 7+1

7 Kyle Newman (1*-1-2*-2*) 6+3

Team manager: Neil Middleditch.

Coventry Bees 31 (76):

1 Chris Harris (0-2-f-3-r-3) 8

2 Kyle Howarth (1-2-0-0-2) 5

3 Danny King (0-1-2-1*-0) 4+1

4 Hans Andersen (2-0-3-2-2-r) 9

5 Rider replacement for Joonas Kylmakorpi

6 Adam Ellis (guest)(3-f-0-1-1) 5

7 James Sarjeant (0-tps-0-0) 0

Team manager: Gary Havelock.

Ht 1: (re-run) Holder, Watt, Howarth, Harris, 59.10 (5-1)

Ht 2: Ellis, Starke, Newman, Sarjeant, 59.50 (8-4)

Ht 3: Kennett, Harris, Janowski, King, 59.03 (12-6)

Ht 4: Gomolski, Andersen, Newman, Ellis (Sarjeant, tapes), awarded (16-8)

Ht 5: Watt, Howarth, Starke, Ellis, 60.16 (20-10)

Ht 6: Kennett, Gomolski, King, Harris (tactical, fell), 59.62 (25-11)

Ht 7: Holder, King, Janowski, Andersen, 59.72 (29-13)

Ht 8: Gomolski, Newman, Ellis, Howarth, 60.68 (34-14)

Ht 9: Andersen, Watt, Starke, Sarjeant, 60.03 (37-17)

Ht 10: Harris, Kennett, Janowski, Howarth, 59.82 (40-20)

Ht 11: Watt, Andersen, King, Holder (fell), awarded (43-23)

Ht 12: Starke, Newman, Ellis, Sarjeant, 61.50 (48-24)

Ht 13: Janowski, Howarth, Harris (retired), Holder (retired) 59.60 (51-26)

Ht 14: Gomolski, Andersen, Kennett, King, 60.50 (55-28)

Ht 15: Harris, Watt, Gomolski, Andersen, 61.16 (58-31)