TEENAGER MASON Phillips starred as Coventry outperformed Elite League rivals Poole during the second half at Habourside Park on Sunday afternoon, beating them 92-106.
The Rugby-based rider scored 11+1 from four rides – including a dramatic heat win in his opening road – and was unlucky not to earn more following a fall in heat 10.
Despite looking stronger on paper, Coventry were held during the opening ten heats at Poole secured a game-changing 7-3 in heat 10 to ensure both sides were level at 50 points a piece at half time.
Prior to the break, Coventry’s Bobby McMillan shone with two heat wins – Myke Grimes and Michael Sassek also took the chequered flag.
However it was a trio of maximum heat advantages over Poole between heats 14 and 16 that made the difference as Poole made a couple of errors at the tapes – which later cost them dearly.
Though Greg Gluckowski and Steve Harris secured a 7-3 in heat 17, it wasn’t enough as McMillan and Sassek combined for what was Coventry’s fifth and final maximum heat advantage. 
Post-game, Coventry boss Lee Marsh said: “It was an excellent meeting for us, the boys dig deep and we were stronger in the second half which is what we expected.
“It was an all round team performance but to have Mason at number nine and ride like he did is a huge boost – he didn’t let the decision which went against him get to him and he performed really well.
“We have a great team spirit and the lads are behind each other seven days of the week – not just on Sundays.”