POOLE Pirates required a super heat to win their action-packed play-off opener against Scunthorpe Scorpions.

For the first time all year at home, Pirates did not come out on top after 15 heats, the meeting ending level at 45-45.

But Poole did at least still claim the spoils in a super heat at Wimborne Road, courtesy of Richard Lawson and Steve Worrall over the mightily impressive Ryan Douglas and Drew Kemp.

Douglas top scored on the night with 17, ahead of Kemp (13+2), while Lawson (10+2) and Worrall (11+1) were the pick of the Poole riders.

It remains to be seen whether this result will be enough for reigning champions Pirates to move through to the final, now needing to win away at Scunthorpe later this month to claim an aggregate bonus point.

They also face two meetings against Edinburgh Monarchs in the play-off group campaign.

Both clubs boasted full strength one-to-sevens, with Scunthorpe’s reserve duo Kemp and Nathan Ablitt having ridden to glory with Poole last year.

Douglas, who scored an 18-point maximum on his last visit to Wimborne Road, picked up where he left off in heat one.

But all the action came at the back. Anders Rowe made a slow start, but pushed hard all the way, eventually pipping Simon Lambert to third, getting up inside him on the final bend.

Kemp produced a dominant display in the reserves heat, which ended with some confusion as racing briefly continued despite four laps being completed.

Heat three was re-run twice. Zach Cook fell at the first bend with all four riders called back. Ben Cook and Jake Allen then suffered a nasty looking tangle, both riders receiving treatment before eventually coming back to tapes.

There Ben Cook picked himself up to combine with Zach for a maximum.

The drama continued in heat four, Ablitt getting his helmet caught in the tapes at the start. He was replaced by Kemp for the re-run, who took second behind Worrall.

Scunthorpe got their noses back in front at 16-14 with their first maximum in heat five, Douglas winning again and Lambert holding off the strong challenge of Ben Cook.

But Pirates hit straight back in kind, Rowe and Lawson clear in front.

The hosts were looking for back-to-back maximums, but the Poole pair were eventually split by Allen.

Kemp claimed his second race win in a shared heat eight, before pipping Ben Cook to second in the following outing, Zach Cook the clear leader as Pirates moved 30-24 ahead.

Scunthorpe team boss Rob Godfrey opted for a tactical substitute, bringing in Douglas, looking for his ninth straight win in two meetings at Wimborne Road this season. But he was eventually beaten, Lawson fighting hard to overtake early leader Allen to take the spoils.

The gap was trimmed as Douglas got straight back to winning ways, Worrall’s unbeaten night ending.

Two more shared heats followed before confusion reigned ahead of heat 14. With all four riders at tapes, there was a disagreement over whether Kemp was allowed to come in to take the place of Ablitt in a reserve switch, Pirates feeling the latter had only completed two rides.

Eventually the matter was resolved, Ablitt had in fact been utilised in the previous heat at the last minute.

Allen and Kemp then combined for a huge 5-1, the overall scores levelled.

And after spoils were shared in heat 15, Douglas out in front, a super heat was required with the meeting drawn on the night.

With the scoring different for a such a race, Douglas slowed down to try and help Kemp battle through from the back, but a first place for Lawson and third for Worrall were enough for victory.

Pirates 45: Lawson 10+2, Rowe 6+1, B Cook 8, Z Cook 5+1, Worrall 11+1, Newman 5, Thompson 0.

Scunthorpe 45: Douglas 17, Lambert 3+1, Mountain 2, Allen 7, Palm Toft 2, Kemp 13+2, Ablitt 1.

(Pirates win 6-3 in a super heat)