POOLE Pirates returned to the top of the SGB Championship table in style with a comfortable 53-37 win over fellow title hopefuls Glasgow Tigers.

Steve Worrall (13) top scored for the hosts, who also claimed the aggregate bonus point, on a forgettable night for the Tigers, who ended with just five riders.

Pirates leapfrog both Glasgow and former leaders Oxford Cheetahs, with just two regular season meetings now remaining.

Pirates legend Darcy Ward was again in attendance for the meeting, eight years to the day since the crash which ended his career.

Glasgow were without former Pirates star Benjamin Basso, due to Danish league commitments. Steve Worrall’s twin brother Richie came in as a guest.

Tigers also operated rider replacement for Marcin Nowak, who recently left the team.

Lee Complin took the first ride, but failed to complete the first lap due to mechanical gremlins, the start of what would turn into a torrid night for the 38-year-old.

Richard Lawson claimed the opening win, before back-to-back maximums put Pirates in control.

They were aided in heat two by Complin given a 15-metre handicap, having arrived at tapes wearing the wrong colour helmet. Anders Rowe and Joe Thompson were uncatchable out in front.

Ben and Zach Cook then linked up from the gate for a 5-1, before Steve Worrall held off brother Richie to win heat four.

Ben Cook then grabbed his second race win of the night, Chris Harris pipping Zach Cook to second.

Already trailing by 14 points, Tigers then lost reserve Ace Pijper to injury. The 16-year-old fell awkwardly at the first bend of heat six and would not ride again for the rest of the night.

Following a delay of almost 45 minutes with Pijper receiving treatment on track and in the ambulance, the action resumed.

On the re-run, Complin slipped to a fourth loss of the night, overtaken by Kyle Newman as Pirates extended their lead with Lawson out in front.

Glasgow then secured their first shared heat, Steve Worrall well out in front, but Rowe trailing at the back.

Complin then missed the two-minute timer in heat eight, but referee Dave Watters allowed him to start from tapes, due to a fault with the timer light in the pits. It mattered little as Complin again finished at the back, Vissing doing well to get ahead of Thompson to prevent him linking up with race winner Newman for a 5-1.

Ben Cook battled hard for his third win on the spin, overtaking Richie Worrall as Pirates moved 20 points ahead.

Glasgow finally recorded their first race win of the night in heat 10, Tom Brennan crossing the line first with Newman packing up at the back.

Just three riders competed in heat 11, nobody available to come in and take the rider replacement slot. Harris split the Pirates pair.

Complin’s night of ignominy was then complete, failing to score for the seventh race in which he competed.

Glasgow restored some pride with a maximum in heat 13, aided by Lawson’s bike breaking down out of the gate.

Spoils were then shared in the penultimate race, before Ben Cook broke the tapes in heat 15. He was unable to claw back the 15-metre handicap, as the gap remained at 16 points, Pirates winning 97-83 on aggregate across the two meetings.

Pirates 53 (97): Lawson 8, Newman 5, B Cook 11, Z Cook 6+1, S Worrall 13, Rowe 5+1, Thompson 5+2.

Glasgow 37 (83): Harris 12+2, Brennan 9+1, Vissing 6, R Worrall 9, Complin 0, Pijper 1.