GARRY May claimed riders from both camps had voiced their concerns at the condition of the Kirkmanshulme Lane track during the early stages of last night’s Elite League showdown in Manchester.

May, standing-in for absent team manager Neil Middleditch , directed proceedings from the pits as Pirates maintained pole position following an incident-packed clash that was littered with track spills.

No fewer than six different riders took tumbles during the contest – with Pirates reserve Kyle Howarth and Aces pair Rory Schlein and Ales Dryml all falling twice. All the riders are understood to have emerged unscathed.

Remedial repair work, which resulted in a brief delay to the meeting, was carried out to the track after both Howarth and Aces’ Craig Cook had gone to ground in separate incidents on the fourth turn of heat four.

May told the Daily Echo: “The riders were unhappy with the track. It was very dangerous to start with so the meeting was stopped and it was re-done.

“The riders didn’t want to ride it and both teams were moaning about it. It wasn’t very good. It is up to Belle Vue to sort it out. It is their business so they have got to sort it.

“After it had been re-graded, the referee said we had to get on with it and there were no complaints. They were here to do a job and they went out and did it. They got all four points to keep us at the top of the league.

“We kept getting exclusions and re-runs but we came out on top so that was good.

“It was a brilliant win and everyone put in the effort. When we were told we had to ride the track, everyone rode it and went out and did a job.”

Pirates number one Darcy Ward took a tumble in the opening heat after he had been forced to start 15 metres back following a tapes infringement.

Although Cook, who had starred in Aces’ 49-41 defeat at Wimborne Road six days ago, took the chequered flag in the opening two races, a 6-5 lead was as good as it got for the Elite League whipping boys.

The writing was on the wall for the hosts after Dennis Andersson and Chris Holder registered a 5-1 in heat three – and Pirates never looked back.

Krzysztof Kasprzak saw off Mark Lemon in a two-horse race in the re-run to heat four and Ward was at his imperious best when he landed the spoils in heat five.

Cook again came to the party in heat eight, although his victory was sandwiched between Holder and Kasprzak both chalking up doubles as Pirates forged 10 points ahead.

And the visitors extended their lead courtesy of wins for Ricky Kling, Holder, Ward and Kasprzak in four of the final five heats.

Both Ward and Holder took to social networking site Twitter last night to express their dissatisfaction at the Kirkmanshulme Lane track.

Belle Vue 40: Rory Schlein (tapes-fell/ex-2-4-fell/ex) = 6, Ales Dryml (rtd-1*-1-fell/ex-fell-1*) = 3+2, Patrick Hougaard (0-2-fell/ex-4-3-2) = 11, R/R for Charlie Gjedde, Mark Lemon (1-2-1-2) = 6, Renat Gafurov (0-1*-0) = 1+1, Craig Cook (3-3-fell/ex-2-3-rtd-2*) = 13+1.

Pirates 52: Darcy Ward (fell-3-2*-3-0) = 8+1, Ricky Kling (2-0-3) = 5, Chris Holder (2*-3-3-3) = 11+1, Dennis Andersson (3-0-1-ex) = 4, Krzysztof Kasprzak (3-3-3-1-3) = 13, Ludvig Lindgren (2-2*-1*-1-1-1) = 8+2, Kyle Howarth (1*-fell/ex-2-fell/ex) = 3+1.

Ht 1: Cook, Kling, Dryml (rtd), Ward (fell), 3-2 (3-2) Ht 2: Cook, Lindgren, Howarth, Gafurov, 3-3 (6-5) Ht 3: Andersson, Holder, Lemon, Hougaard, 1-5 (7-10) Ht 4: Kasprzak, Lemon, Cook (fell), Howarth (fell), 2-3 (9-13) Ht 5: Ward, Hougaard, Dryml, Kling, 3-3 (12-16) Ht 6: Kasprzak, Lindgren, Dryml, Schlein (fell), 1-5 (13-21) Ht 7: Holder, Cook, Gafurov, Andersson, 3-3 (16-24) Ht 8: Cook, Howarth, Lindgren, Dryml (fell), 3-3, (19-27) Ht 9: Kasprzak, Schlein, Lindgren, Hougaard, 2-4 (21-31) Ht 10: Holder, Schlein (TR), Andersson, Dryml (fell), 4-4 (25-35) Ht 11: Kling, Ward, Lemon, Gafurov, 1-5 (26-40) Ht 12: Holder, Hougaard (TR), Lindgren, Cook (rtd), 4-4 (30-44) Ht 13: Ward, Lemon, Kasprzak, Schlein (fell), 2-4 (32-48) Ht 14: Hougaard, Cook, Lindgren, Howarth, 5-1 (37-49) Ht 15: Kasprzak, Hougaard, Dryml, Ward, 3-3 (40-52) Last night’s other Elite League scores: King’s Lynn 45 Swindon 45, Peterborough 58 Eastbourne 36, Wolverhampton 42 Coventry 47.