Photo by Ian Charles: Kenneth Bjerre (Red) and Justin Sedgmen (Blue) go for maximum points Belle Vue Rentruck Aces v Poole Volvo Cars Pirates, SGP Premiership, 9 June 2017

Words: Hayley Bromley
Images: Ian Charles

True to their form as one of the Premiership’s powerhouses, Poole pushed hosts Belle Vue into a dramatic last-heat decider in which the Rentruck Aces defended against a Pirates’ victory.

The evening started off very comfortably for the home team as they built and maintained a healthy 10-point advantage after just six heats, forcing team boss Matt Ford into tactical territory.

Brady Kurtz was unable to gain leverage from his black-and-white nomination but a double 5-1 to the visitors kept proceedings in a tense deadlock until the Pirates broke away in Heat 13.

With a deficit of two points to overcome, and with just one heat to go, Kenneth Bjerre and Max Fricke were the heroes of the hour after securing a vital 4-2 to ensure a drawn meeting.

Team boss Mark Lemon said: “We got away with a draw which, at home, is quite disappointing for us because we had a nice comfy lead. But their riders just seemed to find something we didn’t.

“Our boys had a pretty mixed bag and though we seemed to be doing everything right, we just couldn’t maintain that advantage and having two consecutive 5-1s go against us was pretty tough.

“From a fan’s perspective, you couldn’t ask for more. The racing was close, hard and really made for a prime example of speedway at its best. As a manager though, it was again a little too close!

“But you can’t deny the excitement we got from how hard the guys were pushed by the Pirates, and both Max and Kenneth did a hell of a job in Heat 15 to get us the 4-2 to draw the meeting.

“There’s still a lot of work to do for every team yet before the final four are decided. It’s no time to panic. The boys are working overtime to produce the goods and I’ve every faith that they can.”

The Belle Vue Aces are next in action away at Rye House, while National League action returns to the National Speedway Stadium on Friday June 16. Tickets on sale at www.bellevueaces.co.

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