POOLE Pirates saved their best for the very end as they recovered from a six-point deficit to take a lead into the second leg of the BSN Series semi-finals.

Trailing Redcar Bears 15-9 after four heats, Poole recorded back-to-back maximums in the final two heats to win 48-42 on the night.

Richard Lawson led the charge for the hosts with 13 points from five rides, but was outscored by returning Pirates captain Danny King (15).

Both sides were missing one member of their regular septets. Pirates operated rider replacement for the absent Anders Rowe, who was away on Team GB duties. They did however draft Sam Hagon in as a guest at number eight, the first time Poole have named a rider in that slot since Kyle Howarth in 2011.

Redcar were without injured number one Erik Riss, operating rider replacement, while Alex Spooner came in as a guest at number eight.

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Bears got off to a dream start, with former Pirates pair King and Danyon Hume storming to a maximum in heat one.

The next two heats were shared, and Poole’s search for a race win extended when King recorded another big victory ahead of Lawson in heat four, Bears going into the first track grading pause 15-9 ahead.

Poole hit back. The Cook brothers looked on for a maximum, only for former British champion Charles Wright to split the pair, Ben Cook taking the chequered flag.

King was then beaten for the first time all night, Steve Worrall taking to the front alongside Kyle Newman, but the hosts had to settle for a 4-2 as King battled back for second.

Lawson won a shared heat seven, the visitors retaining their two-point cushion.

The scores were levelled after the second pause, Ben Cook clinching his second win of the night, before Redcar fought hard to avoid falling behind.

In two consecutive heats, Poole saw the chance to go ahead slip away. Ben Cook led heat nine, only for King to go wheel-to-wheel and come out on top on bend four.

Then, Worrall saw his hopes of a second victory thwarted as 2019 British champion Charles Wright swooped up to overtake him on the inside as the spoils were shared.

Lawson continued his fine night with a dominant win in heat 11 as the contest remained finely poised heading into the interval.

Newman looked well-placed to record a timely win in heat 12, only to be reeled in by Wright, before Ben Cook pipped a sleeping Jason Edwards on the line.

Drama ensued in heat 13. As Lawson and Worrall led the way, the latter crashed out between bends three and fours, crashing into the air fence.

There was a delay to proceedings with the heat of Worrall’s bike, which had flown up into the air, seeing it melt onto the fence, with a new panel needed.

Pirates then finally got their noses in front, with their first maximum of the evening, courtesy of Zach Cook and Newman, the latter taking his seventh ride of the meeting.

And the home side repeated the trick to open up a six-point cushion with a 5-1 in heat 15, Lawson and Worrall doing the damage.

The two sides go at it again in the second leg on Saturday.

Pirates 48: Worrall 8+1, B Cook 10+2, Z Cook 7+1, Lawson 13, Newman 9+2, Roynon 1+1.

Redcar 42: Hume 7+1, Wright 12+1, Bailey 2, King 15, Edwards 5+1, Mulford 1.

(Pictures: Mike Greenslade and Dan Rose)