STAND-IN team boss Matt Ford was on hand to oversee a dominant Poole Pirates victory over Plymouth Gladiators, which sends them top of the embryonic SGB Championship table.

With Neil Middleditch unavailable, the club’s owner Ford flew in from his home in France to take matters into his own hands at Wimborne Road.

And he saw Poole get off to a blistering start, leading 15-3 after three heats, a position they never looked like squandering, going on to win 64-26.

Ben Cook (14) and Richard Lawson (13+1) led the scoring for Pirates, who go top of the table with three wins from three. Reserve Kyle Newman (8+4) also recorded a paid maximum as Pirates added an aggregate bonus point to their tally, with this result combined with Tuesday night’s 46-44 victory at the Coliseum.

Steve Worrall looked in good form from the off, combining with Anders Rowe for an opening-heat maximum, which was re-run after the latter had initially crashed out on the first bend.

Adam Roynon and Newman then produced a comfortable win from the gate, as did Ben Cook and Zach Cook.

Bournemouth Echo: Poole Pirates v Plymouth Gladiators

Richie Worrall was then tasked with trying to haul his side back into some sort of contention, coming out for three rides in succession. After winning heat three, which was shared after Roynon reeled in Ben Trigger in third, the Merseysider was selected as a tactical sub by boss Garry May for heat five.

He won again in another 3-3, before then finishing second behind brother Steve in heat six, holding off Rowe chasing him down.

Poole soon pulled further clear at 35-13 with a pair of maximums, courtesy of Lawson and Newman and then Rowe and Roynon.

Ben Cook got the better of Richie Worrall in heat nine, which was awarded after New Zealander Jake Turner fell at the back, having been overtaken by Zach Cook.

Plymouth finally recorded their first heat advantage of the night in heat 10, Ben Barker and Dan Gilkes coming home for a maximum, ruining Steve Worrall’s perfect start to the evening.

But Poole hit straight back in kind. With Lawson out in front, Newman went wheel-to-wheel with Plymouth number one Kyle Howarth and came out on top.

A win for Ben Cook in heat 12 saw the hosts move 49-23 up, before Howarth’s forgettable night went from bad to worse. He burst through the tapes in heat 13 and was forced to start 15 metres back in the re-run. The former Bournemouth Buccaneers man could get nowhere near those in front, Lawson going from third to first as Pirates racked up their seventh maximum of the night.

And Pirates were not done there, Newman holding off a strong challenge from Gilkes to record a paid maximum, coming in behind Zach Cook.

Ford selected Ben Cook and Lawson for heat 15 and the pair could not be stopped as Poole rounded off their night in style.

Pirates 64: S Worrall 9+1, Rowe 6+1, B Cook 14, Z Cook 7+2, Lawson 13+1, Newman 8+4, Roynon 7+2.

Plymouth 26: Howarth 2, Morley 1, Barker 6, Gilkes 4+1, R Worrall 12, Turner 0, Trigger 1.