RESURGENT Pirates stormed into the SGB Premiership play-off mix after subjecting Leicester to a second hammering in a week.

The Dorset side grasped their first four-point away win of the season at the Paul Chapman & Sons Arena – the only venue outside Dorset they have triumphed at this year.

Five maximums in a row early on proved the cornerstone of Poole’s 53-37 victory and Chris Harris and reserves Nicolai Klindt and Frederik Jakobsen scored superbly throughout.

A four-point salvo allowed Neil Middleditch’s men to complete a remarkable jump from sixth to third in the league standings.

Team boss Middleditch told the Daily Echo: “It was a powerhouse performance. We hit Leicester hard early on and they didn’t have an answer.

“They nibbled away but by then it was too late. The boys showed real intent.

“Everybody played their part and it was a very good team performance. Bomber (Harris) has certainly hit the ground running since joining us.

“His racing tonight was the best I’ve seen from him for a long time. The last time he was at Leicester he had four zeros!

“But you have to have the back-up and we had nine paid 11 from Freddie and Nicolai was outstanding again.”

Pirates quickly seized control as Brady Kurtz came out on top in an opening race in which Hans Andersen finished third.

And the visitors, who last week racked up no fewer than nine maximums against Leicester at Wimborne Road, then got back in the 5-1 habit.

Jakobsen and Klindt notched the first, before Richie Worrall and Kacper Woryna achieved the same feat at the expense of Josh Auty and Charles Wright.

Scott Nicholls tried everything to get past Jakobsen and frontrunner Harris but another away maximum was secured.

Still they kept coming. Kurtz and skipper Josh Grajczonek steamed home and then former Leicester flier Klindt and Harris forced Andersen into another third-place finish.

Poole had a 28-8 lead after six heats, prompting Andersen to take a tactical ride. But it was Nicholls who took the win as Lions finally grabbed their first heat advantage.

The hosts were on a 5-1 when the luckless Stuart Robson shed a chain and retired, which resulted in a shared heat.

And Pirates restored their 20-point lead when the hard-charging Harris beat Wright for speed in heat nine.

Leicester started a mini revival when Andersen and Wells bagged a first maximum.

Nicholls battled hard to get past Grajczonek in heat 11 but Poole’s win was sealed thanks to a 4-2 led in by Worrall next.

The hosts got a rare heat advantage in heat 13 but Jakobsen and Klindt hit back in style.

And while Andersen and Nicholls earned a 4-2 in heat 15, it was too little, too late for the Lions.

Meanwhile, Poole’s outstanding home fixture against Leicester has been rescheduled for Thursday, August 9 (7.30pm).

RIDERS’ SCORES AND HEAT DETAILS

Leicester 37: 1 Hans Andersen (1*-1-1-3-3-3) 12+1, 2 Ricky Wells (2-r-3-2*) 7+1, 3 Charles Wright (0-1-2-2) 5, 4 Josh Auty (1-0-0) 1, 5 Scott Nicholls (1-3-3-1-1) 9, 6 Stuart Robson (1-r-1-0-1) 3, 7 Connor Mountain (0-0-0) 0.

Pirates 53: 1 Brady Kurtz (3-3-0-0) 6, 2 Josh Grajczonek (0-2*-2-2) 6+1, 3 Richie Worrall (3-0-1-3-0) 7, 4 Kacper Woryna (2*-2-0) 4+1, 5 Chris Harris (3-2*-3-2-2) 12+1, 6 Nicolai Klindt (2*-3-1-1-2*) 9+2, 7 Frederik Jakobsen (3-2*-1*-3) 9+2.

HT 1: Kurtz, Wells, Andersen, Grajczonek, 60.69 (3-3)

HT 2: Jakobsen, Klindt, Robson, Mountain, 61.75 (4-8)

HT 3: Worrall, Woryna, Auty, Wright, 62.19 (5-13)

HT 4: Harris, Jakobsen, Nicholls, Mountain, 62.68 (6-18)

HT 5: Kurtz, Grajczonek, Wright, Auty, 61.68 (7-23)

HT 6 (re-run): Klindt, Harris, Andersen, Wells (ret), 62.31 (8-28)

HT 7: Nicholls, Woryna, Andersen (tac), Worrall, 61.94 (12-30)

HT 8: Wells, Grajczonek, Jakobsen, Robson (retired), 62.65 (15-33)

HT 9: Harris, Wright, Klindt, Auty, 62.60 (17-37)

HT 10: Andersen, Wells, Worrall, Woryna, 61.94 (22-38)

HT 11: Nicholls, Grajczonek, Robson, Kurtz, 62.42 (26-40)

HT 12: Worrall, Wright, Klindt, Robson, 62.37 (28-44)

HT 13: Andersen, Harris, Nicholls, Kurtz, 62.07 (32-46)

HT 14: Jakobsen, Klindt, Robson, Mountain, 63.12 (33-51)

HT 15: Andersen, Harris, Nicholls, Worrall, 62.62 (37-53)

ECHO STAR RIDER: CHRIS HARRIS

CHRIS Harris has enjoyed a dream start to his Pirates career.

Truro-born Harris opened up with a healthy nine points at King’s Lynn – after which he confessed he felt he should have scored more.

And the three-time British individual champion followed that up with 11 paid 12 on his home debut against Leicester.

A 12 paid 13 haul at the Lions’ den cemented Harris’s status as the difference-maker in this Pirates septet.

With the play-offs now in range, the signing of the former Coventry star could yet prove another Matt Ford masterstroke.