Richard Lawson had the edge over visiting skipper Chris ‘Bomber’ Harris in the battle of the number ones, the Rocketman claiming a dominant five-ride maximum, while Pirates skipper Zach Cook impressed with 12+1 points.

The hosts also had the edge at reserve, Paul Starke and Will Cairns picking up 5+1 and 7+1 respectively, while opposite numbers Dayle Wood and Freddy Hodder scored only 4 points between them.

A even meeting for much of the first half, Pirates began to pull away and 5-1s in heats 14 and 15 thanks to Cook and Starke and then Lawson and Cook propelled them to a commanding first leg lead.

Pirates travel to Ashfield for the second leg on Sunday, September 7 aiming to defend their lead and book their spot in the KO Cup final to continue their title defence.

The Glasgow pair of Harris and Fraser Bowes made a good start to heat one but Lawson swept under both riders onto the back straight of the first lap, and Tobias Thomsen passed Bowes for third to secure a first heat advantage for the hosts.

(Image: Richard Crease) Cairns got around the outside of Wood around the first bend in heat two and soared to a heat victory, while Starke crossed in third to earn another 4-2 for the Pirates.

Lewis Kerr managed to get between the Glasgow riders in third in heat three before pulling up with mechanical issues, as Zach Cook held off Dan Thompson to take the heat win as the points were shared.

Hodder and Cairns were handed a warning for moving too early as heat four was called back for a re-run.

Anders Rowe passed Hodder in the first lap as Kyle Howarth held the Pirates off, Cairns crossing in second for a shared race.

Harris and Bowes made rapid starts in heat five to get ahead of Cook and Kerr, and they sealed the first maximum of the night for the Tigers to draw the meeting level at 15-15.

(Image: Richard Crease) Wood hit the deck in the opening bend of heat six, with the first re-run a repeat as Wood crashed in the first bend, with all four returning to the start.

It was third time lucky and it was a dramatic heat as Lawson and Thomsen went out in front, with the Dane under considerable pressure from Howarth – the Tigers rider pipping the Pirate on the line.

The Pirates duo of Rowe and Starke were squeezed out at the start of heat seven by Thompson and Flint and the Tigers took the lead for the first time on the night with a heat maximum.

Bowes went into the tapes at the start of heat eight and took a 15-metre handicap in the re-run.

Hodder making a good start but he was passed by Thomsen and then Cairns heading into the final lap after a patient chase for the Pirates to take a 5-1.

Poole took another heat advantage in heat nine, Cook leading Howarth and Kerr for a 4-2, before Richard Lawson crashed at the start of the tenth.

(Image: Richard Crease) An unsatisfactory start was the ruling and all four came back, Lawson and Thomsen combining for a maximum for the third heat advantage on the bounce for the hosts to take an eight-point lead.

Bowes crashed in the first corner of heat 11, as Harris went to the victory in the re-run with Starke and Rowe ensuring the points were shared.

Thompson took the race win in heat 12 as Glasgow recorded a 4-2 heat advantage of their own, before Lawson held off Harris to take heat 13, the point shared at three apiece.

Wood replaced Hodder in a reserve change for the Tigers in heat 14, as Flint went down into turn three of lap one as Cook went to overtake for the lead on the inside.

Flint was adjudged to be the cause of the stoppage and he was excluded from the re-run, as Cook and Starke started well to confirm maximum points and open up a ten-point advantage with one heat to go.

(Image: Richard Crease) It was a thrilling final heat as Lawson and Cook managed to squeeze into first and second onto the back straight, the pair holding firm under big pressure from Howarth and Harris, taking a what could be a big 5-1 in the context of the semifinal.

That sealed the Pirates a 52-38 victory on the night and a 14-point lead to take into the second leg on September 7.

Poole Pirates: Richard Lawson 15; Tobias Thomsen 7+1; Lewis Kerr 3; Zach Cook (c) 12+1; Anders Rowe 3+2; Paul Starke 5+1; William Cairns 7+1.

Glasgow Tigers: Chris Harris (c) 10; Fraser Bowes (Guest) 2+1; Dan Thompson 8; Leon Flint 4+2; Kyle Howarth 9+1; Dayle Wood (Guest) 4; Freddy Hodder 1.