POOLE Pirates defended their Championship title in the most dramatic of Grand Finals at Glasgow.
Leading by 12 points after the first leg at Wimborne Road, the Pirates seemed in control of the final after the early exchanges, even leading the meeting after four heats.
But the Tigers were not to be easily beaten.
Back-to-back heat advantages in heats five and six and then eight and nine pulled them to back within four points on aggregate, before they drew themselves level in heat 13.
Pirates were able to hold the final level in the final two heats to send the meeting to a super heat, where captain Zach Cook and number one Richard Lawson finished first and second to secure the title.
It was Cook the hero on the night, top scoring for the visitors with 10+1, while Glasgow number one Chris Harris did his utmost to earn his side the title with a full maximum from his five rides.
But Cook led Lawson in the super heat for a 7-2, with Harris and partner Kyle Howarth unable to pass the pair in the key heat and Poole claimed the crown.
They now head to Redcar tomorrow to begin their defence of the BSN Series with their sights firmly set on the treble.
Glasgow needed a strong start and they got it, Harris making the gate and getting the lead, with Vilads Nagel passing Tobias Thomsen for third place and a 4-2 heat advantage for the hosts.
But the Pirates hit straight back in heat two as Will Cairns went around the outside of Freddy Hodder in bends three and four of the first lap to take the lead, Paul Starke claiming third for a Poole 4-2.
A shared race followed in heat three, Zach Cook getting ahead of Leon Flint on the first lap and going to the win.
Pirates took the meeting lead and stretched their aggregate lead to 14 after heat four, Anders Rowe and Cairns making the gate only for the reserve to be overtaken by Kyle Howarth, but he wasn’t able to chase Rowe and another 4-2 went to Poole.
The hosts responded with back-to-back heat advantages in heats five and six.
Dan Thompson edged out Richard Lawson in bends one and two of the fifth, the Rocketman pressuring the Tigers rider to the line but unable to pass and Flint crossed in third for a 4-2.
Bomber Harris showed his class in heat six, as he gated and Nagel got around the outside of the Pirates pair to join his skipper, going to a comfortable 5-1.
Poole responded with a 4-2 of their own, Lewis Kerr taking the heat victory in the seventh as Howarth got inside Cook in the fourth bend of the second lap to split the Pirates pair.
The Poole lead was cut to just four points in the next two heats with a 4-2 and 5-1 in the host’s favour.
Nagel won the eighth comfortably as Thomsen passed Hodder to claim second place.
Flint and Thompson made the gate in heat nine, only for the latter to be passed by Rowe heading into the third lap, but he was able to get past the Weymouth-born rider quickly to secure the maximum.
Three shared heats followed.
In heat ten, the Pirates pair of Kerr and Cook started well but Harris got around the two with a trademark move around the outside at the end of lap one.
Howarth won heat 11 by passing Lawson into the third bend and despite a good tussle, the Pirates number one wasn’t able to pass.
It was Kerr’s turn to get past a Tigers rider for the race victory in heat 12, as he went around Thompson on the second lap before holding on to the lead for another 3-3.
The scores were levelled on aggregate in heat 13.
Lawson made the gate to lead Howarth, with Rowe getting into third before he was passed by Harris, Bomber then clearing his teammate to chase down his opposite number.
He got inside Lawson coming through the final bends of the heat and the Pirates man went down, the Glasgow rider managing to stay on to take the win and lead Howarth for a 5-1.
Captain Cook responded with a race win in heat 14 to keep the scores level, starting well and holding off Flint, while Cairns got past Hodder only for his bike to fail and for him to retire.
That sent the Grand Final to a final heat decider, the two teams unable to be separated across 29 heats of racing.
And they were not to be split after 30, either, as the Pirates pair of Cook and Lawson got out of the start well only for Harris to past the number one and then the skipper heading into the final lap, holding off Cook well to the flag.
A super heat awaited after a 90-90 aggregate, Glasgow winning the meeting 51-39, with the destiny of the title to be decided on one heat.
The two teams sent out the same pairings as in heat 15, and the Pirates claimed the title in dramatic fashion – but in a comfortable super heat victory.
Cook and Lawson got the better of Harris and Howarth in a nip and tuck opening half lap, and, once in front, were able to go to the victory untroubled and seal the title.
Up next, Pirates head to Redcar tomorrow for the first leg of the BSN Series final.
Glasgow Tigers: 1 Chris Harris (c) 15; 2 Villads Nagel 6+1; 3 Dan Thompson 8+2; 4 Leon Flint 8; 5 Kyle Howarth 9+1; 6 Freddy Hodder 5+2; 7 Max Perry 0.
Poole Pirates: 1 Richard Lawson 7+1; 2 Tobias Thomsen 3+1; 3 Lewis Kerr 8; 4 Zach Cook (c) 10+1; 5 Anders Rowe 6; 6 Paul Starke 1; 7 Will Cairns 4.
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