TONY RICKARDSSON'S head was the coolest as the world champion emerged from a first bend ruck for a win that clinched a significant draw for Poole at Wolverhampton's Monmore Green last night.

The Pirates had gone into the last heat of the meeting on level terms with the Elite League champions and for a brief moment it seemed that Swedish brothers Mikael Max and Peter Karlsson had got in front of the Pirates' captain with Leigh Adams trailing last.

But the Wolves pair got their racing lines wrong and Rickardsson made the most of his chance, charging down the back straight for a comfortable win.

Wolves promoter Chris van Straaten had predicted before the meeting that, despite Coventry's lightning start, Poole were the best bet to reach the play-off final at the end of the season.

The Pirates did not disappoint with a solid performance that was worth at least the draw.

Rickardsson and Adams easily held the upper hand over Wolves top two Max and Karlsson. Max failed to win a race on his own track for the first time in more than a year, while Karlsson - a faller in his first outing - trailed in third in his last two heats.

Poole's top two ran a last each, but were otherwise in commanding form, winning seven of the 15 races between them.

Having opened up with a 4-2 and exchanged 5-1s in the first four heats - Wolves getting a gift in the second race as Andre Compton shed a chain while leading on the last bend - Pirates edged in front as David Ruud nicked third place from Magnus Karlsson in the sixth race.

Wolves hit back and two 4-2s and a 5-1 gave the home team a six-point lead, allowing Poole to include Adams as a tactical substitute in heat 10 - the Aussie taking another win over Max.

Peter Karlsson and Chris Neath re-established the advantage, only for Neil Middleditch to bring in Rickardsson to link with Lukas Dryml for a 5-1.

The key moment of the match came in heat 14 as previously unimpressive Bjarne Pedersen beat in-form Adam Skornicki and Compton took third to level the scores, Rickardsson doing the rest in the last race.

HEAT BY HEAT TOTAL: Wolves: M Max (2-2-2-2-2) 10; D Howe rider replacement; S Ermolenko (0-3-1-1) 5; A Skornicki (3-1-3-3-0) 10; P Karlsson (0-3-3-1*-1*) 8(2); C Neath (0-3-1-2*-0-0-2) 8(1); M Karlsson (2*-1-0-1) 4(1); Team manager Peter Adams

Poole: L Adams (3-2-3-2-3-0) 13; K Kasprzak rider replacement; L Dryml (2-2-1-2*) 7(1); B Pedersen (1*-0-1-3) 5(1); T Rickardsson (3-3-2-3-0-3) 14; D Ruud (1-2*-1-0-0) 4(1); A Compton (1-R-0-0-1) 2; Team manager Neil Middleditch

Referee Craig Ackroyd

KEY: X-excluded, R - retired, F - fell, * - bonus point for finishing second or third directly behind team-mate.

HEAT DETAILS Ht 1 - Adams, Max, Compton, Neath. 56.68. 2-4. Ht 2 - Neath, M Karlsson, Ruud, Compton (machine failure). 59.61. 7-5. Ht 3 - Skornicki, Dryml, Pedersen, Ermolenko (fell, remounted). 58.72. 10-8. Ht 4 - Rickardson, Ruud, M Karlsson, P Karlsson. 58.93. 11-13. Ht 5 - Ermolenko, Adams, Skornicki, Compton. 58.60. 15-15. Ht 6 - Rickardsson, Max, Ruud, M Karlsson. 57.11. 17-19. Ht 7 - P Karlsson, Dryml, Neath, Pedersen. 58.31. 21-21. Ht 8 - Skornicki, Neath, Pedersen, Compton. 59.02. 26-22. Ht 9 - Skornicki, Rickardsson, Ermolenko, Ruud. 58.81. 30-24. Ht 10 - Adams, Max Dryml, Neath. 57.97. 32-28. Ht 11 - P Karlsson, Adams, M Karlsson, Ruud. 58.52. 36-30. Ht 12 - Rickardsson, Dryml, Ermolenko, Neath. 58.80. 37-35. Ht 13 - Adams, Max, P Karlsson, Rickardsson. 58.55. 40-38. Ht 14 - Pedersen, Skornicki, Compton, Neath. 59.44. 42-42. Ht 15 - Rickardsson, Max, P Karlsson, Adams. 58.77. 45-45.