Coventry Bees crowned Elite League champions

[dutchman]

Coventry Bees were crowned Elite League champions after beating runaway leaders Poole Pirates in the Grand Final.



Bees became the first away team to win at Wimborne Road, thumping Poole 50-40 and taking the tie 101-79 on aggregate

Coventry's success capped a dramatic turnaround in the club's fortunes having lost their first seven meetings.

Bees skipper Chris Harris (pictured above) recovered from a crash in heat six, in which he was run over by another bike, to contribute a paid 15.

The Grand Final defeat was a surprise for the Pirates who finished the regular season 26 points above Coventry.

Heat seven saw the home side go 25-17 ahead on the night, reducing the aggregate deficit to just four points.

But Przemyslaw Pawlicki, top-scorer with 16, and Harris headed heat wins for Bees to establish an eight-point cushion overall.

Poole were then rocked in heat 10 when their top pairing of Chris Holder and Darcy Ward were beaten 5-1 by Harris and Pawlicki.

Coventry clinched the title in race 13 thanks to Krzysztof Kasprzak and Harris securing the first of three more maximum heat wins as Pirates succumbed on their home track for the first time this season.

Bees manager Alun Rossiter told BBC Coventry & Warwickshire: "It hasn't really sunk in, I was really nervous beforehand but I knew we could do it, and it's just fantastic.

"The turning point was when Chris Harris got run over. He's been an amazing captain and to see him run back to the pits after that, it made everyone strong, and we marched on from there.

"I'm pleased for him, pleased for the whole team, pleased for the supporters and for the rest of the management for bringing me to Coventry - and I'm pleased to be here."

[dutchman]

[PoundShopPeter]

that's some going after losing their first seven meetings!

Perhaps the Rugby and Football clubs should just pack it in and leave it to the Bees and the Blaze