CRUEL luck cost table-topping Pirates dear as they returned home from Arlington without any Elite League points last night.

Poole Castle Cover were on the verge of grabbing a crucial 5-1 in race 12 that would have tied the score at 36-36.

Roaring into the third lap, Bjarne Pedersen and Darcy Ward were comfortably ahead of Eastbourne duo Lukas Dryml and Ricky Kling.

But in a bizarre incident, the Aussie youngster lost control of his bike coming off the second turn and clattered into the back straight safety fence.

At the same time, his footrest, or some other part of his bike or body, dislodged the kick-board between the safety fence and track, throwing it out on to the middle of the circuit.

Dryml quickly took advantage of Ward’s mishap to storm past the Aussie on the inside into second place.

Ward, who had almost been shunted over his handlebars, regained control of his machine and was able to stop Ricky Kling blasting past into third spot.

Going into the final circuit, Pedersen – called up into Denmark’s World Team Cup side yesterday – and Ward still held a 4-2 which would have cut their 35-31 deficit to 37-35.

But, just as Pedersen began turning into the first bend, referee Christina Turnbull had no option but to stop the race due to the stray kick-board.

The referee awarded Pedersen first, Dryml second and Kling third, with luckless Ward excluded, despite not falling, as the prime cause of the stoppage.

Pirates team manager Neil Middleditch tried, in vain, to get the decision over-ruled so Pirates would be awarded a 4-2.

But Turnbull stuck to her guns.

Eagles, with Matej Zagar, Cameron Woodward and Simon Gustafsson on fire, bagged two 3-3s as they led a titanic tussle 44-40 going into heat 15.

Poole’s hopes of grabbing a 45-45 draw evaporated on the first bend when Zagar and Woodward shot out in front of Chris Holder and Davey Watt.

Pirates’ pair never looked like catching the Eagles duo as the Dorset club ended up slipping to only their fourth league defeat of the campaign.

They couldn’t really complain either, as Ward had struggled coming off the second bend all night, so it was no real surprise when he did hit the fence.