POOLE spearhead Darcy Ward has admitted he has struggled to come to terms with his punishing start to the new season.

Ward experienced fluctuating fortunes as Coastal Aluminium Pirates opened their campaign by surrendering the Elite Shield to rivals Swindon.

The 20-year-old mustered just two points from four rides in the first leg at Blunsdon on Thursday before top scoring for Pirates with paid 14 in today’s return at Wimborne Road.

Ward, who made the semi-final in the first GP of the season in New Zealand last weekend, admitted he had felt the effects of the long-haul travel.

“I am still a bit lost with everything,” he told the Daily Echo. “I had a tough night at Swindon and it wasn’t what I had wanted. I had bike dramas at the start and had a bad meeting.

“It was a bit better today but I still didn’t feel as good as I would have liked. But it is early season and we are all still getting into the run of things.

“It is a crazy schedule but it has got to be done and goes with the territory. It really hit me at Swindon but some home knowledge got me round today.”

Ward raised concerns among some Pirates supporters when he took to social network site Twitter yesterday and posted a comment which read “Still don’t know if I’m up for it”.

Asked to elaborate, Ward replied: “I didn’t think I was back ready to be as fast as I was. I still don’t feel like I am where I want to be but it will come. I am taking it slowly. I hadn’t ridden for a while before I went to New Zealand.

“I am lacking a bit of confidence and it is going to take time to come together. But I am still really looking forward to what lies ahead this season.

“It is going to be good to have a couple of days off and get my sleep patterns back in order. I have been getting tired very early at night. I just want to try to get things back to normal.”

Pirates’ 55-37 trouncing in Wiltshire – their heaviest defeat for 18 months – had left them with a mountain to climb in the second leg at Wimborne Road.

And their hopes of staging a comeback suffered a setback when Robert Miskowiak was forced out of the meeting after taking a heavy fall in heat five.

However, although Miskowiak left the track in an ambulance, he was fortunate to sustain bruising and a dead leg and should be fit for Pirates’ Elite League clash against King’s Lynn next week.

Chris Holder, who added another 10 points to his paid 16 haul at Swindon, walked away from a heavy fall during the third heat of an incident-packed – but not action-packed – meeting.

The biggest plus of the day for Pirates was guest Alex Davies, who showed glimpses of his rich potential by picking up paid nine points, while Kyle Howarth followed up his impressive display at Blunsdon with another encouraging performance.

Pirates team manager Neil Middleditch, who had refused to press the panic button following the heavy defeat at Swindon, said he had been pleased with the improved showing.

Middleditch added: “A few of our boys hadn’t had a practice before we went to Swindon and it was just one of those nights when nothing went right for us.

“It is always nice to have a win at home and I thought we did well. There were some positive signs and everybody contributed towards the victory.

“I think Swindon and King’s Lynn are going to be two of the main contenders this season. It is early days and one swallow doesn’t make a summer. It is a long season and everybody showed they were capable of putting in some good performances.”

Ahead of tapes-up, Ward was presented by official Ronnie Allan with his award for being voted SCB referees’ most exciting rider of the year for 2012.

Pirates 46: 1 Darcy Ward (2-2*-3-3-3) 13+1, 2 Dawid Stachyra (1*-3-1*-0) 5+2, 3 Chris Holder (fx-3-3-2-2*) 10+1, 4 Robert Miskowiak (1-fx) 1, 5 Maciej Janowski (3-fx-2-1) 6, 6 Kyle Howarth (0-1-2*-0) 3+1, 7 Alex Davies (3-2*-2-0-1) 8+1.

Team manager: Neil Middleditch.

Robins 43: 1 Hans Andersen (3-x-3-2) 8, 2 Nick Morris (fx-2-3-1) 6, 3 Peter Kildemand (2*-2*-1*-3-1) 9+3, 4 Edward Kennett (3-3-2-2*-0) 10+1, 5 Troy Batchelor (0-1-1-0) 2, 6 Kyle Newman (1*-0-0) 1+1, 7 Kacper Gomolski (2-1-0-1-3) 7.

Team manager: Alun Rossiter.

Referee: Ronnie Allan.

Ht 1: (re-run) Andersen, Ward, Stachyra, Morris (fell/ex), 59.53 (3-3) Ht 2: Davies, Gomolski, Newman, Howarth, 60.97 (6-6) Ht 3: (re-run) Kennett, Kildemand, Miskowiak (15-metre tapes infringement), Holder (fell/ex) 60.59 (7-11) Ht 4: Janowski, Davies, Gomolski, Batchelor, 61.47 (12-12) Ht 5: (re-run) Holder, Morris, Miskowiak (fell/ex), Andersen (ex) 61.75 (15-14) Ht 6: Stachyra, Ward, Batchelor, Newman, 60.66 (20-15) Ht 7: (re-run) Kennett, Kildemand, Howarth, Janowski (fell-ex), 61.31 (21-20) Ht 8: Morris, Davies, Stachyra, Gomolski, 61.63 (24-23) Ht 9: Holder, Howarth, Batchelor, Newman, 61.54 (29-24) Ht 10: Ward, Kennett, Kildemand, Stachyra, 60.50 (32-27) Ht 11: Andersen, Janowski, Morris, Howarth, 61.72 (34-31) Ht 12: Kildemand, Holder, Gomolski, Davies, 61.44 (36-35) Ht 13: Ward, Andersen, Janowski, Batchelor, 60.28 (40-37) Ht 14: Gomolski, Kennett, Davies, Howarth, 61.90 (41-42) Ht 15: Ward, Holder, Kildemand, Kennett, 61.69 (46-43)