KYLE Newman revealed Pirates captain Bjarne Pedersen gave him a big helping hand as he notched up double figures for Buccaneers, who soared to the top of the league with victory last night.

The Bournemouth Castle Cover teenager took a heavy fall on the second bend while leading his opening race.

But he picked himself up off the shale to reel off of a scintillating 10 paid 12 as he starred in his side’s bumper 60-32 triumph over Newport alongside Jay Herne (12), Jerran Hart (12+1) and Mark Baseby (10+1).

With Andrew Aldridge and Danny Warwick also taking the chequered flag, and Aaron Baseby working hard for his four points, it was one-way traffic for Buccaneers as they really stung the Hornets.

Tony Atkin and Shelby Rutherford were Newport’s two race winners although Karl Mason and Grant Tregoning had their moments.

Title-favourites Bournemouth had too much strength in depth for Hornets, though, and they leapt two points ahead of Weymouth at the summit of the table.

And Buccaneers also enjoyed the assistance of two-times World Cup winner and former Grand Prix regular Pedersen.

Newman, who beat Mason from behind with a beautiful textbook last-lap outside pass in a thrilling heat seven, said: “It was really great tonight. I was enjoying myself out there.

“I had a cracking race with Karl and it’s just a shame I fell off in my first race.

“It was a little bit of inexperience. I just lost concentration looking for my team-mate, and hit some unwanted grip.

“I crashed, but I have learnt from it now. I won’t let it happen again.”

Newman, who wore a strap around a sprained wrist injury but did not aggravate the problem in the fall, added: “Bjarne helped set the clutch up for me and I’m really grateful to him.

“He did that for my last three rides and in those three rides I made great gates which I haven’t been doing all year.

“I’ve struggled in that department but I was getting out in front last night and it’s better being there than at the back.

“It certainly makes it easier to win races.”

The Poole-born rider continued: “It’s great to win, but more importantly everyone scored well in our team.

“We have a solid side but what’s probably even more of a key factor is our awesome team spirit. Everyone is out for Bournemouth and not themselves.

“That alone could win us the league and we plan to stay at the top. We’re certainly not going to give up top spot without a fight.”

Pedersen skippers Pirates at Coventry in the Elite League tonight (8pm) while Herne, who was never headed as he bagged a full maximum against Hornets, and Warwick represent Buccaneers in the National League Helmet at Weymouth tonight (7.15pm).

Coventry: 1 Chris Harris, 2 Filip Sitera, 3 Oliver Allen, 4 Edward Kennett, 5 Martin Smolinski, 6 Ben Barker, 7 Ricky Wells.

Poole Pirates: 1 Hans Andersen, 2 Joe Screen, 3 Daniel Davidsson, 4 Bjarne Pedersen, 5 Chris Holder, 6 Ben Wilson, 7 Steve Boxall.

HEAT DETAILS Buccaneers 60: 1 Jay Herne (3-3-3-3) 12, 2 Andrew Aldridge (2*-1-3-0) 6+1, 3 Danny Warwick (3-1*-2*-0) 6+2, 4 Mark Baseby (2*-2-3-3) 10+1, 5 Kyle Newman (fell exc-3-2*-2*-3) 10+2, 6 Aaron Baseby (1-1-1-1) 4, 7 Jerran Hart (3-3-2*-3-1) 12+1. Team managers: Garry May and Neil Vatcher.

Newport 32: 1 Tony Atkin (1-3-1^-1-2) 8, 2 Ryan Sedgmen (0-0-1-0) 1, 3 Karl Mason (0-2-4^-2*-0) 8+1, 4 Sam Hurst (1-fell exc-1*-2) 4+1, 5 Grant Tregoning (2-2-fell exc-0) 4, 6 Shelby Rutherford (2-1*-0-1-3) 7+1, 7 Tom Young (exc two mins-0-0) 0. Team manager: Kevin Brown.

Referee: Barbara Horley.

League points: Bournemouth 3 Newport 0.

Ht 1: (re-run) Herne, Aldridge, Atkin, Sedgmen, 62.28 (5-1).

Ht 2: (re-run) Hart, Rutherford, A Baseby, Young (excluded two minutes), 63.36 (9-3).

Ht 3: Warwick, M Baseby, Hurst, Mason, 63.80 (14-4).

Ht 4: (re-run) Hart, Tregoning, Rutherford, Newman (fell excluded), 63.35 (17-7).

Ht 5: Atkin, M Baseby, Warwick, Sedgmen, 62.63 (20-10).

Ht 6: Herne, Tregoning, Aldridge, Rutherford, 62.39 (24-12).

Ht 7: (re-run) Newman, Mason, A Baseby, Hurst (fell excluded), 64.07 (28-14).

Ht 8: Aldridge, Hart, Sedgmen, Young, 63.16 (33-15).

Ht 9: (re-run) M Baseby, Warwick, Rutherford, Tregoning (fell excluded), 63.75 (38-16).

Ht 10: Herne, Mason^ (tactical rider, double points), Hurst, Aldridge, 61.89 (41-21).

Ht 11: Hart, Newman, Atkin^ (tactical rider, double points), Sedgmen, 63.13 (46-22).

Ht 12: Rutherford, Mason, A Baseby, Warwick, 64.31 (47-27).

Ht 13: Herne, Newman, Atkin, Tregoning, 62.52 (52-28).

Ht 14: M Baseby, Hurst, A Baseby, Young, 63.17 (56-30).

Ht 15: Newman, Atkin, Hart, Mason, 63.06 (60-32).

Last night’s Elite League: Ipswich 55 Eastbourne 35, Peterborough 51 Wolves 45, Swindon 56 Belle Vue 39.

Fixtures, tonight, Elite League: Coventry v Pirates, Lakeside v Swindon (postponed).

National League Knockout Cup, quarter-final, first leg: Scunthorpe v King’s Lynn.

Weymouth: National League Bronze Helmet.