PIRATES inched closer to the SGB Premiership play-offs as they earned a point in a 47-42 loss at Swindon.

Neil Middleditch’s septet led after heat seven but the Robins fought back and held their nerve in a last-heat decider.

Pirates were unchanged from their win over Somerset earlier today, while Swindon brought in 17-year-old Eastbourne rider Tom Brennan to guest for injured reserve Jack Smith.

The teams traded 5-1s early on, with Josh Grajczonek and Brady Kurtz’s good work in heat one undone by a sensational ride from Brennan to hold second next time out.

Heat three was shared as Nicolai Klindt and Swindon’s Adam Ellis experienced machinery issues, with Chris Harris and Frederik Jakobsen then belting in a second Poole maximum.

After another 3-3 in which Ellis took the chequered flag, Swindon cut to two points the lead courtesy of a 4-2 from David Bellego and number one Troy Batchelor.

The Robins’ Nick Morris was controversially reinstated after a turn-two fall in heat seven and proceeded to take victory.

Bellego powered through from third to win heat eight and the hosts took the lead for the first time when Tobiasz Musielak and Ellis left Harris and Kacper Woryna behind.

It was six Swindon race wins in a row thanks to Bellego, only for Morris to earn an exclusion and Kurtz and Grajczonek blitzed the re-run against Brennan.

Jakobsen, in for Woryna, sealed his first success as Poole levelled things up but Batchelor and Morris restored home control with a 5-1 in heat 13.

Klindt won a two-man heat 14 after Jakobsen and Musielak had fallen but a Swindon 4-2 in the final race ended the visitors’ hopes of a dramatic victory.

RIDERS’ SCORES AND HEAT DETAILS

Swindon 47: 1 Troy Batchelor (1-1-1-3-3) 9, 2 David Bellego (0-3-3-3-1) 10, 3 Adam Ellis (0-3-2*-2) 7+1, 4 Tobiasz Musielak (3-0-3-fx) 6, 5 Nick Morris (1-3-fx-2*) 6+1, 6 Zach Wajtknecht (3-0-1-0-2) 6, 7 Tom Brennan, guest (2*-0-1) 3+1.

Pirates 42: 1 Brady Kurtz (2*-2-3-0-2) 9+1, 2 Josh Grajczonek (3-1*-0-2*) 6+2, 3 Richie Worrall (2-1*-2-1) 6+1, 4 Nicolai Klindt (1*-2-0-3-0) 6+1, 5 Chris Harris (3-2-1-1) 7, 6 Kacper Woryna (1-0-0) 1, 7 Frederik Jakobsen (0-2*-2-3-fx) 7+1.

HT 1: Grajczonek, Kurtz, Batchelor, Bellego, 66.43 (1-5)

HT 2: Wajtknecht, Brennan, Woryna, Jakobsen, 67.03 (6-6)

HT 3: Musielak, Worrall, Klindt, Ellis 66.95 (9-9)

HT 4: Harris, Jakobsen, Morris, Brennan, 67.66 (10-14)

HT 5 (re-run): Ellis, Kurtz, Grajczonek, Musielak, 66.83 (13-17)

HT 6: Bellego, Harris, Batchelor, Woryna, 66.74 (17-19)

HT 7 (re-run x2): Morris, Klindt, Worrall, Wajtknecht, 67.11 (20-22)

HT 8: Bellego, Jakobsen, Wajtknecht, Grajczonek, 67.70 (24-24)

HT 9: Musielak, Ellis, Harris, Woryna, 67.55 (29-25)

HT 10: Bellego, Worrall, Batchelor, Klindt, 67.20 (33-27)

HT 11 (re-run): Kurtz, Grajczonek, Brennan, Morris (fell/dsq), 67.93 (34-32)

HT 12: Jakobsen, Ellis, Worrall, Wajtknecht, 68.33 (36-36)

HT 13: Batchelor, Morris, Harris, Kurtz, 67.68 (41-37)

HT 14 (re-run x3): Klindt, Wajtknecht, Musielak (fell/dsq), Jakobsen (fell/dsq), 67.99 (43-40)

HT 15: Batchelor, Kurtz, Bellego, Klindt, 66.95 (47-42)

ECHO STAR RIDER: FREDERIK JAKOBSEN

A CREDITABLE haul of seven paid eight for Frederik Jakobsen to complete a good day’s work on his part.

Pirates fans will hope the Danish youngster is none the worse for his heat 14 spill.

Brady Kurtz was also solid as Poole claimed another useful point.