THROUGH THE TAPES – JULY 27 2011

DUBBED the Place of Pace, Wimborne Road was transformed into the Theatre of Dreams as Pirates franked their reputation as the Manchester United of speedway.

A thrilling last-heat decider settled an evening of high drama as the Dorset outfit drew on all their resources to claim a memorable 44-43 victory over Lakeside.

Needing a maximum to land the spoils, skipper Davey Watt and the irrepressible Chris Holder delivered in some style, the Aussie pair teaming up to raise the roof in a gripping finale.

The fact Pirates were able to take the contest to the wire owed much to the exploits of Holder, whose breathtaking manoeuvre in heat 13 will go down as one of the greatest feats of riding in the club’s long and proud history.

Despite suffering a rare defeat on home soil in his opening heat, Holder was the catalyst for this incredible victory.

Pirates: 1 Chris Holder 14+1, 2 Dennis Andersson 12+1, 3 Davey Watt 11, 4 Renat Gafurov 3, 5 R/R Darcy Ward, 6 Gary Havelock 3, 7 Ilya Bondarenko 1.