Anders Rowe: Pirates 'going big or onto dog track' in heat 15 decider

Poole Pirates managed to overturn an eight-point first leg deficit against the Gladiators and themselves led by eight points after heat 13.

But after Plymouth’s Ben Trigger and Joe Thompson collected a 5-1 in heat 14, they sent the meeting to a final heat decider.

Should the visitors have picked up a maximum, they would have forced the quarterfinal to a super heat.

But Rowe and Lawson stepped up to the plate, knowing anything better than conceding a 5-1 would be enough to see them into the semifinals.

Plymouth number one and former Pirate Nicolai Klindt took the early lead but Rowe got past on lap one, with Lawson crossing ahead of Gladiators captain Ben Barker to take a 4-2 for Poole and book their spot in the final four.

(Image: Richard Crease) Speaking after the meeting, Weymouth-born Rowe said: “It's never nice to get in that situation where it's a last heat decider but when needs must we pull it out and again heat 15 was sort of do or die really.

“We were going either big or we were going to end up on the dog track so needed to do it and got it done and that's all that matters.”

That win took Rowe to a 13+1 points haul, only beaten in his second ride of the night in heat five, when he finished third behind Klindt and teammate Lewis Kerr.

The Weymouth-born rider has now top scored in the past two meetings at Wimborne Road, backing up a perfect maximum against Scunthorpe Scorpions in the Championship.

Reflecting on his current form at home, Rowe said: “It took me a meeting or two but now I think I’ve found a set up and I haven't changed it in the last two meetings.

“We're going good and long may it continue.”

(Image: Richard Crease) Rowe feels the Pirates are growing as a team and continuing to improve, despite an inconsistent start to the season.

“The more meetings we do, the better we get as a team and individually,” Rowe said.

“It was really good. Just a big shout out to Darryl Ritchings, really good tonight and I know it's a big confidence booster for him and just proves that he should be in this league.”

On Ritchings, who collected 7+1 points for the Pirates on Wednesday night including his first race win in Pirates colours in heat eight.

“He's been out of the sport a long time and to come back and do as well as he's doing, it's really good to see,” Rowe said.

(Image: Richard Crease) “He's a good friend of mine and only lives down the road from me so yeah we help him out as much as we can and it proved tonight, it's a team effort.”

Pirates head north for a Championship doubleheader against Glasgow and Workington next weekend.

Rowe’s aim for those two meetings is clear: “Win.”