Eriksson wants to stay number two (From Bournemouth Echo)

Eriksson wants to stay number two

7:00am Monday 9th June 2008 in

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PIRATES star Freddie Eriksson has pledged to make the number two race jacket his own by retaining it until the end of the season.

Many Poole Castle Cover fans would probably like to see the experienced Swede drop back to strengthen the reserves following two shock home defeats for their side.

But Eriksson, who had piled up points for fun from number seven in the opening six weeks of the campaign, is not one of those people.

He initially adapted well to the jump to second string in mid-April, grabbing scores of paid 11, nine and eight.

However, he has struggled to match those returns in recent weeks when Pirates have lost 50-40 and 46-44 against Ipswich and Peterborough, respectively, at Wimborne Road.

Talking ahead of Poole's tough trip to Elite League leaders Ipswich tonight (7.30pm), Eriksson said: "I really like my position at number two.

"My one goal is to hopefully try and keep hold of this race jacket for the rest of the season.

"I also want to keep my average up where it is now and try to improve a bit if I can.

"Besides, it is not much harder riding at two. I still ride against the same riders, although I don't meet the reserve riders that much.

"I don't mind being at two or four. It's just when I was at seven I had more chances to ride against reserves.

"That made it a bit easier to recover your form. If you had a poor race, you quickly had another chance to put that right with another race almost straight away.

"Now there are fewer chances for me to go out and have those extra rides because you only get four, not five, six or seven.

"So you don't have the same amount of opportunities you can get a reserve."

Looking back on Poole's woeful display against Panthers last week, Eriksson said: "We lost because Peterborough were fantastically good.

"We had been away from our home track for a few weeks and hadn't ridden many meetings at home for a month (because of rain-offs).

"The track was a bit different, but we can't blame that because it wasn't bad. It's just Peterborough rode so well.

"We have another chance at Ipswich tonight though. We just have to go there and believe we can win it, like we did at Swindon.

"We'll go and give it our best shot.

"We've got to try and make up for losing at home to Peterborough and to Ipswich a few weeks ago, although it will be tough."