PIRATES showed the Elite League play-offs what they will be missing by crushing high-flying Peterborough on home shale last night.

Chris Holder, Bjarne Pedersen and Hans Andersen all banged in double figures as a full-strength Poole Castle Cover side won with ease against a team heavily tipped to take part in the title showdown.

With Daniel Davidsson also winning a couple of races and the likes of Ben Wilson deserving more than his two points, it was almost all one-way traffic for the Dorset side.

Pirates’ second successive big win at home lifted them into uncharted territory, two places off the foot of the table into seventh.

What joy that is for their long-suffering fans, who have seen their side stranded at the bottom for most of the past four months.

Now it’s just a shame the Elite League promoters’ astonishing mid-season decision to change the title showdown from the top six to four means it will rob Poole of the chance of defending their title.

Based on the evidence of last night’s clash, Holder and Co would have a very good chance of lifting the trophy.

But, still a mighty 18 points adrift of fourth-placed Lakeside with only two matches in hand, surely it’s too late for Pirates to close that gap?

Peterborough turned up at Wimborne Road without big-hitting Kenneth Hansen, who has been notching up double figures for fun at the Showground this year.

The Dane is the first speedway rider reported to have gone down with swine flu, but even if he had been here, it probably wouldn’t have made any difference to the result.

For only the second time in the league this season, Poole tracked a full-strength seven-man side.

And, with Andersen having missed Pirates’ 59-33 home romp over Ipswich last week with a hand injury, it was the first time the Dorset club really showed their true colours.

Poole were never in trouble after Davidsson and Pedersen had popped out of the gate in front of Ales Dryml and Mads Korneliussen to bag a 5-1 in heat three and propel the home side 10-8 in front.

Holder – showing no let-up in his classy riding skills despite taking part in his fifth meeting inside four days – fired in vital 4-2s with Steve Boxall and Wilson over Kenneth Bjerre and Korneliussen as Pirates forged six points in front.

Wilson, who is taking time to settle in the top-flight, led Korneliussen for two-and-a-half laps before the Peterborough man was able to split him and Holder.

Joe Screen was caught out trying to go outside leader Claus Vissing, only to be passed on the inside by Dryml, as Panthers hit back with a 5-1 in race eight that cut their deficit to 25-23.

But Davidsson, who gated electrically, and Pedersen teamed-up for a superb maximum in heat nine as Poole immediately powered back into a six-point lead.

Wilson, battling hard, kept Iversen at bay for more than three laps before the Dane found a way past to grab second in race 11 as another 4-2 went Pirates’ way.

Tempers flared on Poole’s terraces among their fans when Vissing blatantly stayed down to force a re-run in heat 12 with Davidsson and Steve Boxall on a 5-1 over tactical man Korneliussen.

The Dane agonisingly pipped Boxall to the line in the second re-run, and Bjerre woke up late to deny Holder and Pedersen their maximum’s in the final race.

But this was Pirates’ night and they’re unbeaten in four matches heading to Coventry tomorrow.

Now Poole have got more strength in depth at reserve, who would bet against them carrying on that unbeaten run and winning at Brandon?

  • Buccaneers host Newport tonight in the National League (7.30pm). Buccaneers: 1 Jay Herne, 2 Andrew Aldridge, 3 Danny Warwick, 4 Mark Baseby, 5 Kyle Newman, 6 Aaron Baseby, 7 Jerran Hart.

    Newport: 1 Tony Atkin, 2 Ryan Sedgmen, 3 Karl Mason, 4 Sam Hurst, 5 Grant Tregoning, 6 Shelby Rutherford, 7 Tom Young.