Pressure is all on the Pirates after Redcar take the first-leg honours

CHARLES Wright inferred that the pressure was mounting on Poole after Redcar followed Glasgow in exposing cracks in the South Coast plan to claim what was looking like a seemingly unstoppable run to a second successive treble of team honours.

- By KEITH McGHIE

The powerhouse Pirates have already successfully defended the Knockout Cup, comfortably beating the Bears in both legs of the final, but only scraped home in the Championship Grand Final by virtue of an extra ‘Superheat' victory, after squandering a 12-point first-leg lead to the Tigers last Friday.

Then, less than 24 hours later, they looked in danger of capitulating again at the ECCO Arena when Jake Mulford and Charles Wright tore away to a first heat 5-1 in the opening leg of the BSN Series Final.