CAPTAIN Marvel Gary Havelock breathed new life into Pirates just when it looked as though they might tumble to an embarrassing home defeat against Peterborough on Wednesday (May 8).

Poole Meridian Lifts, going into the match desperate for a win and to collect the bonus point to climb off the bottom of the league table, fell behind to an opening heat 5-1 by Ryan Sullivan and Shane Parker over Havelock and Bjarne Pedersen.

After Panthers had produced four of the first five race winners, the subdued Pirates outfit still trailed 17-13 going into heat six.

That's when Havelock, Poole's skipper, first dragged himself into top gear and inspired the rest of his team to do likewise.

He ignited Pirates into life by producing a spectacular fourth to second burst past Henning Bager and David Howe to accompany winner Pedersen to a 5-1 that levelled the score at 18-18.

Pirates never looked back from then on, although it was Havelock's absolutely brilliant heat 10 re-run performance that earned him a standing ovation among the home fans in a 3,000 crowd.

Pedersen and Mariusz Sta-szewski, who held off another Panthers guest Craig Watson superbly on the second bend, bagged a 5-1 in heat eight to finally put Poole ahead on the night 26-22. That brought the aggregate score level at 69-69 in the battle for the bonus point.

Magnus Zetterstrom and Hans Andersen scorched past Howe on either side around the second bend in heat nine as the Pirates pair got another 5-1 to put them eight ahead on the night and four clear on aggregate.

Then it looked as though Panthers were about to hit back and halt Poole's spectacular mid-meeting march.

Bo Brhel and Sam Tesar got out of the gate first in heat 10 and were on an agg-regate levelling-maximum when Pedersen's chain snapped, causing him to fall off on the second lap while last. Referee Jim Lawrence was forced to stop the race and order a re-run, which gave Havelock - Poole's other rider in the heat - a second chance.

Indeed, the pressure really was on Havvy, because he was off gate four and it looked as though the odds were on Brhel and Tesar teaming up to peg the Pirate back into third place.

Some critics among the Wimborne Road faithful had probably already written Havelock's chances off. But we all ought to have known better.

The situation was ideal for Havelock to remind everyone why he won the 1992 World title. It was backs to the wall time, a scenario when he invariably produces his best for Poole.

True to form, Tesar and Brhel were first to the first bend and looked to be heading for a 5-1. But Havelock dug deep to drive hard in-side Brhel into second place on the second bend of the third lap before diving inside Tesar into first spot on the fourth bend of the same circuit. It was vintage stuff and had the Poole fans on their feet in celebration.

The 3-3 also killed off any hopes Peterborough had of winning on the night, and on aggregate, as Pirates went on to triumph 55-35 - their biggest league win of the campaign.

Havelock had the final say as well. He jetted out of the gate and cut across Sullivan brilliantly going into the first bend of heat 13 to partner Tony Rickardsson to 5-1.

Pirates: 1 Gary Havelock (1-2*-3-2*) 8+2, 2 Bjarne Pedersen (0-3-3-fell exc) 6, 3 Hans Andersen (2-2-3-2-1) 10, 4 Magnus Zetterstrom (1*-1*-2*-3) 7+3, 5 Tony Rickardsson (3-3-3-3-3) 15, 6 Tomasz Chrzanowski (1*-0-1-2*) 4+2, 7 Mariusz Staszewski (2-0-2*-1*) 5+2. Team manager: Neil Middleditch.

Peterborough: 1 Ryan Sullivan (3-3-2-3-1) 12, 2 Shane Parker (2*-0-1-0-0) 3+1, 3 Bo Brhel (3-1*-1*-0) 5+2, 4 Sam Tesar (0-2-2-1-2) 7, 5 (guest) David Howe (2-ret-1-0-0) 3, 6 Henning Bager (ret-1-0) 1, 7 (guest) Craig Watson (3-1*-0) 4+1. Team manager: Jim Lynch.

Referee: Jim Lawrence.

Ht 1: Sullivan, Parker, Havelock, Pedersen, 59.3 (1-5).

Ht 2: Watson, Staszewski, Chrzanow-ski, Bager (retired), 60.6 (4-8).

Ht 3: Brhel, Andersen, Zetterstrom, Tesar, 60.6 (7-11).

Ht 4: Rickardsson, Howe, Watson, Staszewski, 59.1 (10-14).

Ht 5: Sullivan, Andersen, Zetter-strom, Parker, 59.6 (13-17).

Ht 6: Pedersen, Havelock, Bager, Howe (retired), 60.4 (18-18).

Ht 7: Rickardsson, Tesar, Brhel, Chr-zanowski, 59.6 (21-21).

Ht 8: Pedersen, Staszewski, Parker, Watson, 60.7 (26-22).

Ht 9: Andersen, Zetterstrom, Howe, Bager, 60.8 (31-23).

Ht 10: (re-run) Havelock, Tesar, Brhel, Pedersen (fell excluded), 60.7 (34-26).

Ht 11: Rickardsson, Sullivan, Chr-zanowski, Parker, 60.1 (38-28).

Ht 12: Sullivan, Andersen, Staszew-ski, Brhel, 59.9 (41-31).

Ht 13: Rickardsson, Havelock, Sulli-van, Howe, 60.1 (46-32).

Ht 14: Zetterstrom, Chrzanowski, Tesar, Parker, 61.8 (51-33).

Ht 15: Rickardsson, Tesar, Andersen, Howe, no time announced (55-35).