Shaved by bold Eagles...

From the Echo, first published Monday 20th Oct 2003.

PIRATES put themselves into a great position to successfully complete the third leg of their treble attempt by restricting Eastbourne to a six-point deficit yesterday.

Roared on by about 300 travelling Poole fans in a crowd of about 2,000, Neil Middleditch's side held the Eagles to a 24-24 stalemate after the opening eight races.

And it was only in the second half of the clash that Eastbourne - who had won all six of their previous British League Cup home meetings this season - pulled away to give themselves a lead to take into the second leg at Wimborne Road on Wednesday, October 29.

It would have been even better for Pirates if a tough decision for referee Barrie Richardson in heat 15 had gone their way.

But the official felt there was nothing wrong with a collision of David Norris' bike with Bjarne Pedersen's machine down the back straight of the fourth lap in the final race.

The Dane, tucked in behind race leader Leigh Adams, had led Norris and his Eastbourne team-mate David Barker for three laps.

A 5-1 then to Poole would have made their final deficit 46-44 and installed them as clear-cut favourites to win overall and lift the trophy on their home track.

Norris had other ideas though as he stormed outside Pedersen into second place as they passed the finish line third time around.

Pedersen kept cool and looked as though he would still get third - and a vital 4-2 to Poole - but as he and Norris went down the back straight their bikes collided.

Norris had been just in front of Pedersen and as they both temporarily slowed, Barker stormed past the Pirate on the inside into third.

Adams - watched by Poole's British League Cup captain Craig Boyce, rested for this meeting, and the injured Davey Watt from the pits - took the chequered flag to complete an immaculate 15-point maximum.

But Pedersen fell into the safety fence on the third bend as Norris and Barker finished second and third.

Middleditch debated the decision with the match official, but his protest went unheard as Richardson felt there had been no unfair play.

Only two races earlier, Pedersen had been on another 5-1 with Adams, who was leading, when Adam Shields pulled off the pass of the meeting.

The Eastbourne rider somehow managed to squeeze past Pedersen wide on the outside of the third and fourth bends of the last lap to restrict Poole to a 4-2 heat advantage.

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