The South Coast Premier League derby match between Poole and Southampton proved to be a hard fought tactical battle with the home side uncertain of victory until the closing heats. New signings Brad Hoppo and Daniel Pudney got Poole off to the best possible start with a maximum heat but there was drama in heat 3 when Chris Roberts and Gavin Wheeler clashed, with Mark Everingham taking full advantage to take the heat victory. Poole edged to a 7 point interval advantage as a Colin Wheeler tapes exclusion in heat 9 proved potentially costly. Pete Young proved to be a trump card at reserve and came out after the interval to record his second heat win with Ben Donohue tucked into third moving the scoreline to 54-45.

 

There was more action for home supporters to cheer in heat 11 when Gavin Wheeler fell victim to some expert team riding from Poole skipper Richard Clanfield and partner Adam Peck. Shaun Woodhouse paid World number 1 Daniel Pudney the ultimate compliment in heat 12 by opting for the inside starting position, enabling him to inflict the only defeat of the day on the Aussie star. Roberts took a heavy tumble in heat 12 and withdrew from his remaining ride to round off a disappointing match. Saints were in with a shout of a draw with two heats remaining but the Hoppo/Peck pairing tucked in behind Shaun Woodhouse for the match winning minor places as the Saints star completed a 20 point maximum.With the league points safely secured, Poole tracked the Young/Donohue reserve pairing for the final race against the strong Harris/G.Wheeler duo and another all-action battle was fought out before Nathan Harris earned the only racing exclusion of the day for knocking Donohue from his machine.This was a well-attended derby match and the crowd was not disappointed as both teams battled for every point.

 

Poole Scorers: Daniel Pudney 18+1, PeteYoung 17, Adam Peck 14+3, Mark Everingham 12+1, Brad Hoppo 11+1, Richard Clanfield 11, Ben Donohue 7+1, Chris Roberts 3.

 

The Premier Combination fixture proved to be a hugely entertaining affair as both clubs placed the emphasis firmly on youngsters with the Poole average age of 8 and Southampton of 9. The rising stars of tomorrow battled away as the match went to a last heat decider as the visitors just got the verdict. Final score:  Poole 63  Southampton 67. Poole  Scorers: Matthew Mildon 17, Shane Stafford 14, Ashley Stafford 10, James Wilkins 7, James Clanfield 6, Samuel Widdecombe 4, George Newman 4, Alex Clanfield 1.