EASTBOURNE 57 PIRATES 35

EASTBOURNE 57 PIRATES 35

AN irate fan, claiming he was a neutral supporter, came up to the referee’s box during the interval and in a bizarre conversation told official Christina Turnbull he was going to report her controversial heat five decision to exclude Chris Holder to the BSPA.

The middle-aged man, who said he had been standing on the second bend, thought Turnbull had been wrong to punish the Poole rider, after Lee Richardson fell on the third turn at Arlington, and politely told her so.

Holder had dived up the inside of the Eastbourne rider, who fell on the first lap although there appeared to be no contact between the two riders. Pirates, trailing 16-8 going into the race, lost the re-run 5-1 to fall 21-9 behind.

It would probably have been 19-11 if Richardson had been excluded instead.

The fan, who had walked from his viewing spot on the second turn and had to climb up a steep ladder to the referees’ box, told Turnbull: “It was a poor decision.

“I’ve seen four like that this season and I thought I would tell you I am going to complain to the British Speedway Promoters’ Association.

“I have ridden a speedway bike and am a neutral here tonight. “There was no contact. The two riders were on separate racing lines. They were five yards apart.”

Turnbull, who told the mystery man she felt she had made the right decision, politely told him: “I do not feel he (Richardson) dropped his bike.

“It looked like from up here there was no contact.”

Poole team manager Neil Middleditch argued Holder’s case with Turnbull from the pits phone to no avail.

Holder’s controversial and seemingly harsh exclusion, when it looked as though he was diving cleanly under Richardson, was the turning point of the first leg of the Elite League Knockout Cup final.

From then on, Pirates, who had been getting out of the gate in front early on, were then caught flat-footed at the tapes time and again by Eagles, who wracked up a 38-18 interval lead after nine heats.

Poole Castle Cover, using rider replacement for absent Adam Skornicki, got a 5-3 from their tactical rider in heat seven through Bjarne Pedersen and Freddie Eriksson.

But they were distinctly off colour and now need to beat Eastbourne by 23 points at Poole in the second leg tomorrow (Sunday, tapes-up 3pm) to lift the cup.

But Eagles will start favourites and it will take a monumental effort for them to recover and complete a league and cup double. Pirates, clearly riled and with Davey Watt and Daniel Davidsson misfiring, rode better and with more fight after the interval.

Holder and Magnus Zetterstrom got a 5-1 in heat 11 when Zorro drove hard under Edward Kennett on the third lap to join the Aussie out in front to the delight of Poole’s fans standing on the second turn terracing in a crowd of 1,700.

But when Holder lost control of his machine and hit the fence while last on the fourth bend of the first lap while a tactical substitute in the penultimate race, it summed up Poole’s nightmare night as they conceded a 4-2.

They have a steep test to retrieve the situation tomorrow, when Eastbourne will feel confident of protecting their mighty 22-point lead and get their hands on the trophy.

It was they, perhaps not surprisingly, who were spurred by the controversial heat five decision to exclude Holder, rather than Richardson, not Pirates.

See also story - Holder: Pirates can pull back 22 points and win cup.

Heat details

Eastbourne 57: 1 Scott Nicholls(1*-2*-2*-1) 6+3, 2 Lewis Bridger (2-3-3-1*) 9+1, 3 Lee Richardson (3-2*-3-3-1) 12+1, 4 Cameron Woodward (2*-3-2*-1) 8+2, 5 Edward Kennett (3-3-fell-3-3) 12, 6 Simon Gustafsson (3-1-1-1-3) 9, 7 James Brundle (1-fell-0) 1.

Team manager: Trevor Geer.

Pirates 35: 1 Chris Holder (3-exc unfair riding-3-2-0^^-0) 8, 2 Magnus Zetterstrom (0-1-2-2*-2) 7+1, 3 Bjarne Pedersen (1-4^-3-2-2) 12, 4 Rider replacement for Adam Skornicki, 5 Davey Watt (2-0-ret-fell) 2, 6 Freddie Eriksson (2-0-1-1*-1-0-1*) 6+2, 7 Daniel Davidsson (0-0-0) 0.

Team manager: Neil Middleditch.

Referee: Christina Turnbull.

Ht 1: Holder, Bridger, Nicholls, Zetterstrom, 55.7 (3-3).

Ht 2: Gustafsson, Eriksson, Brundle, Davidsson, 57.0 (7-5)

Ht 3: Richardson, Woodward, Pedersen, Eriksson, 57.0 (12-6).

Ht 4: (re-run) Kennett, Watt, Gustafsson, Davidsson, 56.4 (16-8).

Ht 5: (re-run) Woodward, Richardson, Zetterstrom, Holder (excluded unfair riding), 57.3 (21-9).

Ht 6: Bridger, Nicholls, Eriksson, Watt, 56.9 (21-10).

Ht 7: Kennett, Pedersen^ (tactical rider, double points), Eriksson, Brundle (fell), 56.9 (29-15).

Ht 8: Bridger, Zetterstrom, Gustafsson, Davidsson, 57.0 (33-17).

Ht 9: Richardson, Woodward, Eriksson, Watt (retired), 56.8 (38-18).

Ht 10: Pedersen, Nicholls, Bridger, Eriksson, 56.9 (41-21).

Ht 11: Holder, Zetterstrom, Gustafsson, Kennett (fell), 57.2 (42-26).

Ht 12: Richardson, Pedersen, Eriksson, Brundle, 58.0 (45-28).

Ht 13: Kennett, Holder, Nicholls, Watt (fell), 56.9 (49-31).

Ht 14: Gustafsson, Zetterstrom, Woodward (fell remounted), Holder^^ (tactical substitute, 15 metres handicap), 58.1 (53-33).

Ht 15: Kennett, Pedersen, Richardson, Holder, 57.3 (57-35).

Tonight’s other result, Conference League title play-off final, first leg: Weymouth 67 Boston 23.

Fixtures, Sunday, Elite League Knockout Cup final, first leg, Pirates v Eastbourne (3pm).

Conference League title final, second leg: Boston v Weymouth