NEIL Middleditch hopes Pirates’ boo boys will get off Bjarne Pedersen’s back after his scintillating 14-point performance in Poole’s 45-43 defeat at Belle Vue last night.

The Dorset club’s team manager revealed the Dane’s old mechanic Rafal Lewecki brought over two new engines from the continent especially to help his pal.

And the move helped power Pedersen to four heat wins and a second place as Castle Cover Pirates picked up their first away point of the season under speedway’s new scoring system.

Speaking last night, Middleditch said: “Bjarne has been working tirelessly to get things right.

“He had a couple of new engines tonight and I was pleased for him to be back to his best.

“Hopefully the boo boys will get off his back and support him after this.

“Raf came over and brought some engines for Bjarne. That’s why he was here tonight.

“Pavel, his normal mechanic, is great, and Raf knows how Bjarne works.

“Bjarne was electric out of the starts and but for Krzysztof Kasprzak getting through on the inside in heat 13 he would have been faultless.”

Middleditch praised Poole new boy Ales Dryml, saying: “He was very nervous before the meeting but his four paid five helped us.

“He showed he is a great trier, he races hard and you can’t ask for more than that from a rider.

“Alongside Bjarne, he can give us more potency. He can give us third places and more, and I said to him before the meeting ‘if you can score four or five, that’s your job done’.

“I think it takes the pressure off Bjarne a bit. Previously if he went out and won a race, there was no back up. It’s been the same with Chris Holder.

“All we want is people to back them up with good third places for heat advantages.”

Middleditch, whose side's latest albeit narrow reverse equalled an unwanted club record of eight successive league defeats in a row in 2005, 1998 and 1982, added: “It was a close meeting.

“The track was very tricky and dangerous a bit because of all the rain that fell on it in the morning, so I was very pleased to come away with a point.

“It was a lot of effort on a difficult track, but it could have been more with a bit of luck.

“Ales and Paul Hurry both fell and couldn’t get themselves up and going again (when both were in third place in races with no-one behind them) but after what has happened to us this year I will take a point gladly at this time.

“At least it’s a step forward.”

Talking about his bottom of the table team equalling the record, Middleditch said: “We have had so many away meetings during that run, six in all. It’s a lot of away ones.

“It’s just one of those things. I don’t really look at records like that. You just have to look forward. There is no point dwelling on the past.”

Belle Vue’s Billy Forsberg withdrew from the meeting after two rides after sustaining damage to the ligaments in his throat when he landed awkwardly on his chin in a nasty race five spill.