Skornicki wants to avoid travel sickness (From Bournemouth Echo)

Skornicki wants to avoid travel sickness

7:00am Friday 2nd May 2008

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ADAM Skornicki is determined to fill in the missing link when Pirates travel to Coventry aiming to book their Craven Shield final place tonight (8pm).

The Pole, currently riding through the pain barrier while his broken scaphoid continues to knit together, missed Poole Castle Cover's agonising 48-45 league defeat at Brandon two weeks ago.

He was out injured after sustaining the injury in a crash at Swindon on March 27.

In his absence, only four Pirates riders - Bjarne Pedersen (18), Davey Watt (11+1), Freddie Eriksson (8+2) and Chris Holder (8) - got on the scoresheet.

It was a nightmare meeting for Karol Zabik and Zbigniew Suchecki, who both drew a blank.

But Skornicki, who fired in 15 paid 18 from seven rides during Poole's bumper 58-34 semi-final, first leg home triumph on Wednesday, said: "I'm hoping to do well at Coventry.

"It's my first away meeting since I crashed. It's a long time since I've done one, but I hope to be our fifth scorer, I hope I can score points.

"It makes a big difference when everyone is scoring, it makes the job easier for the other lads."

Pirates, who would have claimed a 98-87 aggregate victory if bonus points had still been available from their two league matches last month, seemingly have one foot in the final.

Skornicki, however, believes they can't simply go to Brandon to defend their big lead against a side who are, after all, the current triple holders.

The Pole, whose side need to win on aggregate to fix up a mouth-watering final against Lakeside, said: "We have to try and win tonight.

"We don't want to go there and try not to lose by so many.

"That's when things can go wrong. We just have to try and win, that is the best way of looking at it."

Skornicki has racked up 28 paid 33 from 14 outings at Wimborne Road since his return from injury last week.

It has not been plain sailing though, as he still requires four more weeks for his broken scaphoid to heal properly.

Skornicki said: "My wrist is still painful when I ride and I think it will be like this until the end of the season.

"However, as long as I can score like I am, I don't care about the pain."

Skornicki scored four paid five from five outings on his last visit to Coventry with Belle Vue on June 1 last season, but also racked up nine paid 10 from seven rides six weeks earlier, both in the league.

Craig Watson guests in place of injured Suchecki, while Poole use rider replacement for injured Zabik.

Pirates, who will be bidding to host Lakeside on May 28 in the first leg of the final before heading to the Arena-Essex Raceway on May 30, are aiming to lift the Craven Shield for the fourth time in eight years.

Skornicki was a member of the Poole side that won the trophy in 2002.

He scored a precious 10 paid 12 from eight rides in two legs of the final as a guest for injured Gary Havelock as they beat Ipswich and Coventry 114-109-101 on aggregate.

Coventry: 1 Rory Schlein, 2 Oliver Allen, 3 Chris Harris, 4 Billy Janniro, 5 Simon Stead, 6 Stanislaw Burza, 7 Ben Barker.

Pirates: 1 Bjarne Pedersen, 2 Freddie Eriksson, 3 Chris Holder, 4 Rider replacement for Karol Zabik, 5 Davey Watt, 6 (guest) Craig Watson, 7 Adam Skornicki.

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