GREG Hancock’s shoes were always going to take some filling, but Pirates were walking tall with another massive win as Coventry were comfortably downtrodden.

Poole stomped all over the Bees with a 56-38 victory which ensured a maximum three-point haul and moved them level on points with Lakeside in the chase for the Elite League’s coveted fourth play-off spot.

And while the Hammers have two extra meetings to contest, they won’t be relishing their two crunch clashes with Pirates on tonight’s evidence.

Promoter Matt Ford called for heroes after it became apparent that Hancock’s debut would have to be put on hold following delays with the American legend’s visa.

But with 11 of Poole’s prolific total coming from what would have been Hancock’s four scheduled rides, the Wimborne Road chief need not have worried.

Darcy Ward bagged a paid maximum, Maciej Janowski won five heats and the returning Tomas H Jonasson defied his recent injury woes with a display dominated by bravery and focus.

Ward showed superb strength to win the opening heat before Aussie comrades Micky Dyer and Rohan Tungate showed the kind of spirit Pirates needed to deny the Bees the buzz of a maximum.

Scott Nicholls stopped Dyer from securing Poole’s second 5-1 behind Janowski, but Ward wowed the crowd by running riot round the outside of Michal Szczepaniak before cruising to heat five.

The Wimborne Road faithful were soon on their feet again as super Swede Jonasson caused a stir, bustling through the smallest of gaps and past Nicholls to take second in Ward’s third win.

The meeting was already slipping away from the visitors by the time Janowski denied Grzegorz Zengota six points on a tactical ride before the Pole pipped Nicholls in heat nine, despite a wobble on the penultimate lap.

Such was Pirates’ dominance, Ward could even afford to allow Jonasson to pass him at the end of heat 10 and the unstoppable Janowski ruined another tactical ride by trumping Poole asset Krzysztof Kasprzak.

Josh Grajczonek and Dyer almost collided to knock each other off on the first lap of heat 12 but recovered to register another 5-1, making sure of Pirates’ victory with three heats to spare.

The evening could have ended badly for Pirates as Tungate slipped under Roynon’s wheel in heat 14 but, thankfully, his exclusion from the re-run was his only concern.

Jonasson then pulled out of the final heat as his shoulder injury flared up, but the Swede made positive noises ahead of Pirates’ meeting with Eastbourne on Monday when addressing the crowd at the end.

“I came back from injury and it hurts quite a bit,” he said.

“I have three days off now and I will do some rehab.”

But despite the last-minute worries, it is hard to see many stopping the Poole juggernaut with so many stars shining and the Godfather of speedway to come in.

Step into those boots Greg – your new mates have warmed them up nicely.

RIDERS' SCORES AND HEAT DETAILS

Pirates 56: 1 Darcy Ward (3-3-3-2*-2*) 13+2, 2 Tomas H Jonasson (2*-2-2*-3-3) 12+2, 3 Rider Replacement for Chris Holder, 4 Josh Grajczonek (1*-0-1-3-3-0) 8+1, 5 Maciej Janowski (3-3-3-3-3-2) 17, 6 Rohan Tungate (1*-0-0-0) 1+1, 7 Micky Dyer (2-1-0-2*) 5+1.

Team manager: Neil Middleditch.

Coventry Bees 38: 1 Krzysztof Kasprzak (1-1*-4^-0) 6+1, 2 Michal Szczepaniak (0-2-1*-1*) 4+2, 3 Grzegorz Zengota (3-4^-1-1-3) 12, 4 Stuart Robson (0-1*-0-2) 3+1, 5 Scott Nicholls (2-1-2-1-1) 7, 6 Aaron Summers (3-0-0-0) 3, 7 Adam Roynon (0-0-2-1*) 3+1.

Team manager: Gary Havelock.

League points: Poole Pirates 3 Coventry Bees 0.

Ht 1: Ward, Jonasson, Kasprzak, Szczepaniak, 59.72 (5-1)

Ht 2: Summers, Dyer, Tungate, Roynon, 60.28 (8-4)

Ht 3: Zengota, Jonasson, Grajczonek, Robson, 59.71 (11-7)

Ht 4: Janowski, Nicholls, Dyer, Roynon, 60.06 (15-9)

Ht 5: Ward, Szczepaniak, Kasprzak, Grajczonek, 60.19 (18-12)

Ht 6: Ward, Jonasson, Nicholls, Summers, 59.97 (23-13)

Ht 7: Janowski, Zengota (tactical rider, double points), Robson, Tungate, 60.07 (26-18)

Ht 8: Jonasson, Roynon, Szczepaniak, Dyer, 60.81 (29-21)

Ht 9: Janowski, Nicholls, Grajczonek, Summers, 60.29 (33-23)

Ht 10: Jonasson, Ward, Zengota, Robson, 60.87 (38-24)

Ht 11: Janowski, Kasprzak (tactical rider, double points), Szczepaniak, Tungate, 60.31 (41-29)

Ht 12: Grajczonek, Dyer, Zengota, Summers, 61.00 (46-30)

Ht 13: Janowski, Ward, Nicholls, Kasprzak, 60.66 (51-31)

Ht 14: Grajczonek, Robson, Roynon, Tungate (excluded), 60.84 (54-34)

Ht 15: Zengota, Janowski, Nicholls, Grajczonek 61.34, (56-38)