WILDCAT James Cockle had to be pulled away from Bournemouth skipper Jay Herne during an ugly skirmish in the pits at Weymouth as Buccaneers slumped to their first defeat tonight.

Cockle, who fell heavily in heat three, was angry after claiming Herne had given him no room on the first and second turn.

Herne went on to win the race on his way to a brilliant 17-point performance that gives Bournemouth Castle Cover hope of overturning a 16 point deficit in the second leg at Poole on July 2.

But as he returned to the pits, Cockle admitted he kicked the Australian’s bike and might have done more if they’d been down the pub.

Herne, who felt he’d done nothing wrong during the race, claimed he “had only felt a nudge” then added: “I didn’t really know what was going on because I’d only just got off my bike.

“Then a load of people pulled James away.”

Referee Ronnie Allan didn’t see the incident, but was informed of an alleged coming together between the two riders by pits staff.

Allan then left the officiating box and appeared to give Cockle a stern talking-to in the Weymouth rider’s own pit bay.

Herne, whose side lost for the first time in 10 meetings, said: “I didn’t even notice he’d (Cockle) fallen.

“I was off gate one and he was off two. I knew where the dirt is on the first corner and I knew James knew too.

“But I don’t know what I did wrong. He came into the pits after the race and I felt someone nudge me.

“Everyone came around and pulled him off, but James came up and apologised later.”

“I think it was just a racing incident. I don’t feel I had to say sorry because I didn’t think I’d done anything wrong.

“It was just a hard first corner. I made a start and went to the racing dirt where you have to go because you have to be hard into the first corner.

“But he’s (Cockle) said sorry and it’s all finished. There are no hard feelings at all.

“He’s a good mate. I’ve ridden in the same team with him before, so once he apologised I forgot it.”

Cockle, whose steady seven points helped the reigning third-tier champions topple Bournemouth comfortably, said: “I kicked his (Herne’s) bike, but I didn’t kick him.

“I think if we were in the pub I might have done more, but we’re not in that environment."

Talking about the on-track incident, Cockle added: "He (Herne) didn’t touch me, but he left no room.

“It was either fall, go into the fence or see you later in King’s Lynn. It wound me up to start with, but it’s over and done with now.

“It’s my fault for getting tempered.”

See Buccaneers news at 7am on Saturday for second story on last night's Weymouth versus Bournemouth cup clash.