MATCH REPORT: Plenty of action as Horspath get back to winning ways

Both set of team managers worked overtime in this match to juggle their teams to cover gaps in their line-ups in what turned out to be a close and hard fought affair with plenty of incidents to keep the Harbourside crowd entertained.

Aaron Smith expertly picked off Chris Timms in the opening race to give Poole a 6-4 advantage, but the lead was short lived as a fine Boaler/Payne 7-3 reversed fortunes in heat 3. Horspath were vulnerable in heat 5 with Andy and Owen Johnson surrendering maximum points to Smith/Bristowe moving the score to 26-24.

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There were plenty of crashes at Harbourside with many caught by Denis Murphy (www.dmsportingimages.com)

Hayden Chant rode the race of his CS career in heat 6 to gate and hold Ex-World Champ Lukas Nowacki for 4 pressurised laps of racing and with Arek Szymanski doing a similar job on Lewis Osborne, there was an early glimmer of daylight for the hosts at 32-28. The Hammers hit back with a 6-4 in the next with Zac Payne at the helm, but Poole responded with a 6-4 of their own as Greg Gluchowski lowered the colours of Chris Timms.

A share of the spoils before the break moved the half-time scoreline to 47-43 but the slender advantage lasted only two more heats as the Nowacki/Osborne combo outpowered Aaron Smith and Steve Harris, who was not having one of his better matches against his former team mates. Temperatures rose in heat 13 when Timms and Szymanski clashed on the back straight of the first lap and again after the chequered flag when frank views were exchanged!

More action from Poole by Denis Murphy

More action from Poole by Denis Murphy (www.dmsportingimages.com)

There had been numerous first bend restarts all match, such was the intensity of the racing but vitally for Poole, heat 16 was not one of them and the race continued with Aaron Smith on the deck allowing the Hammers duo to secure a potentially match winning 6-4. That victory was secured in the penultimate race when Steve Harris got his marching orders after a do or die effort to pass Zac Payne.

The scoreline took on a measure of respectability in the final race when Callum Albin teamed up with Greg Gluchowski for a 7-3 but by then, the league points were ready for their journey back up the A34. The absence of talisman Gavin Wheeler and Dean Hook proved costly for Poole for whom Gluchowski was once again the outstanding performer, dropping his only point to the impressive Zac Payne in heat 15. The Poole skipper took his revenge in the Elite match race however with a victory from gate 2 in a well contested race.

Horspath were forced to track 3 riders who did not pick up any points against the home team with only Lukas Nowacki of their Polish quartet available to fly in for the day.

There may be a different name on the trophy in 2015 but this clash between the 2013 and 2014 Elite League champions provided some great racing and a good spectacle for the crowd to enjoy.

Poole 88
Greg Gluchowski 18+1  Arron Smith 13+1  Arek Szymanski 12+1  Wil Bristowe 11+2  Hayden Chant 10+1  Matt Mildon 9  Steve Harris 7  Jay Briggs 4+2  Callum Albin 4

Horspath 91
Zac Payne 18+1  Lukas Nowacki 17+1  Chris Timms 16  Lewis Osborne 14+2  Mark Boaler 13+1  Paul Timms6  Andy Johnson 6  Owen Johnson 1.Referee – Robin Spicer

Match race – Greg Gluchowski (Challenger bt Zac Payne (Holder)

 

Elite League Combination

Poole 73 (+60)
Callum Smith 14+1, Bethany Briggs 12, Jordan Bradford 12+1, Ben Tinsdal 10+3, Callum Albin 10+2, Pete Chant 9+1, Jay Briggs 6

Horspath 56 (+6)
Andy Johnson 16, Owen Johnson 9, Zac Payne 9, Mark Boaler 8, Paul Timms 8, Chris timms 4