Facing a Bears side they dumped out of the Championship playoffs at the weekend with an impressive performance on Teesside, Poole were looking for a more comfortable advantage to take to the Ecco Arena later this week.
They were able to do just that, conceding just one heat advantage all night. Richard Lawson again impressed with a paid maximum, while Zach Cook produced a captain’s performance with 13+1.
That pair combined for a heat 15 5-1 to extend the lead to 14 points and secure a 52-38 meeting win ahead of Friday night’s KO Cup final second leg.
After a rousing team talk in the pits from owner Matt Ford, Pirates made a solid start.
(Image: Richard Crease)
Number one Lawson marked his return to the side with a win in heat one after coming inside Jake Mulford onto the back straight of the first lap, the points shared to start the night.
The points were again shared in heat two, as Ace Pijper took the race win for the Bears, ahead of Paul Starke and Will Cairns for the hosts.
The first heat advantage of the night went the way of the hosts and it was a maximum, handing the Pirates an early lead.
A breathless first lap saw Cook take the lead onto the back straight.
There was a good battle behind as Lewis Kerr pushed Jason Edwards wide into bend three and cut back inside Jake Allen for second place through the line and he held Allen off to confirm the 5-1.
(Image: Richard Crease)
Heat four saw both Pirates not start well, but both Anders Rowe and Cairns were able to get ahead of Pijper exiting the second bend, although they weren’t able to catch former Poole skipper Danny King and the points were shared.
A good start from Charles Wright saw the Redcar captain get around the outside of both Kerr and Cook at the start of heat five, the points again shared.
Lawson took his second heat victory of the night ahead of King in heat six, the 4-2 heat advantage going the way of Poole as Thomsen crossed in third.
Redcar seemed to be on for a 5-1 in heat seven – but Rowe and Starke had other ideas.
A clinic of overtaking from the Weymouth-born rider saw him first pick off Allen around the outside of bend four heading into the third lap, before then repeating the feat on Edwards into the final lap.
(Image: Richard Crease)
Not to be outdone, Starke piled the pressure onto Allen heading into the final two bends and repeated Rowe’s feat, overtaking the Bears rider around the outside on the run to the line.
Thomsen gated well in heat eight and led the two Bears for a 3-3, before a 4-2 in heat nine extended the Poole lead.
Cook led King and Kerr was unfortunate to be crowded out by the former Pirate heading into the finishing straight at the end of lap one but the Poole numbers three and four held station for a heat advantage.
The lead became 14 points after heat ten, Lawson soaring away for his third win on the night while Thomsen held Allen off after passing him out of bend four at the end of lap one to retain second place and secure a 5-1 for the Pirates.
But the Bears hit back with a 5-1 for their first heat advantage of the night, Wright leading Mulford who was able to keep Rowe behind him, the number five unable to repeat his heat seven feats.
(Image: Richard Crease)
Kerr won his first heat of the night in heat 12, before Lawson went to his fourth of the night in heat 13, the points shared in both heats.
Another 3-3 followed in heat 14, Cook working hard to overtake Allen for the lead coming out of bend two in the third lap.
Redcar were dealt a blow ahead of heat 15 as King’s bike failed on the line so he was timed out and disqualified, forcing Pijper to take the line for the visitors.
And Pirates took full advantage.
After both Lawson and Cook gated, the Rocketman took position in behind his skipper to repel the challenge of Wright and seal a final heat maximum and a 14-point lead to take to Redcar for the second leg.
Poole Pirates: 1 Richard Lawson 14+1; 2 Tobias Thomsen 6+1; 3 Lewis Kerr 8+1; 4 Zach Cook (c) 13+1; 5 Anders Rowe 6; 6 Paul Starke 3; 7 Will Cairns 2+2.
Redcar Bears: 1 Charles Wright (c) 10+1; 2 Jake Mulford 6+1; 3 Jason Edwards 4; 4 Jake Allen (Guest) 4; 5 Danny King 8+1; 6 Freddy Hodder (Guest) 0; 7 Ace Pijper 6+3.