PERHAPS it is a sign of the times that one of Pirates’ favourite sons can move to a rival and nobody is too concerned.

Poole could have shuffled the pack to accommodate Darcy Ward but on the evidence of the past two months, why would they?

This is a finely-balanced side gaining momentum. Pirates have taken points in each of their past 11 Elite League meetings and, ominously for their rivals, they could have more.

The Wimborne Road outfit have banked 28 points since they suffered defeat at Wolverhampton at the start of May – not bad going in anyone’s book.

Of course, the concern that an injury curse could strike at any time remains but Pirates have their top-flight title fate in their hands. An enviable position, indeed.

Guest-heavy Lakeside were Pirates’ latest victims tonight and it was not hard to see how the Hammers had failed to secure a single away win in 2015 as they succumbed meekly to the reigning Elite League champions, for whom Maciej Janowski and Chris Holder grabbed paid maximums.

Even with three guests in their line-up in the form of 2014 Pirate Vaclav Milik, former Poole asset Kyle Howarth and Scunthorpe’s Carl Wilkinson, the visitors failed to fire and were a beaten side with just 10 heats on the board.

Howarth, perhaps overly-keen to impress after being axed by Swindon, steamed through the tapes in heat one and began the re-run 15 metres back.

That left number one Andreas Jonsson with a tricky task that got even tougher when Holder and Davey Watt blasted clear out of turn two, the duo holding their advantage with relative ease.

Paul Starke made one of his quickest starts of the season in the first reserves’ heat with Kyle Newman having to battle his way through to third from the back.

The hosts kept the pressure on with newly-crowned Polish champion Janowski too rapid for Kennett while Dakota North edged a lively battle with Milik.

Adam Ellis pouched a first victory for the Hammers courtesy of a gate-and-go success but still there was no heat advantage for the visitors as Richard Lawson struggled and eventually retired.

Watt and Starke showed their opening rides were no flash in the pan with a 5-1 maximum, prompting Lakeside team boss Neil Vatcher to nominate Grand Prix star Jonsson for a tactical ride.

It was a move that spectacularly backfired when Jonsson slipped to the back and North scorched from third to first in a matter of metres, handing Poole a 14-point lead after just six heats.

Lawson suffered mechanical gremlins at the start of heat seven which meant his race was over before it had started, with Janowski and Holder gleefully reeling off a maximum in his absence.

Without the weapons to trouble their hosts, Lakeside’s pain was cranked up another notch when Kacper Gomolski and Newman bagged a third maximum in four heats.

The Hammers did at least make a race of it in the next outing but Starke clung on for third as Wilkinson charged hard, while Watt enjoyed plenty of clear track out front.

For Janowski, it was turning into little more than a practice session and the mercurial Pole swiftly roared from third to first in heat 10, North’s third place ensuring a home victory at an early juncture.

The partnership of Aussies Watt and Holder produced a second 5-1 in as many outings as both continued their flawless cards against the modest resistance of Kennett and Milik.

Ellis had been the only visiting rider to triumph in the opening 11 heats and he achieved the feat again in heat 12 despite being kept honest by Newman.

But the cause was hopeless for the Hammers. Milik shed a chain at the start line and Holder and Janowski needed no second invitation to rack up maximum number six at the expense of Jonsson.

Finally, Lakeside earned their first heat advantage in the penultimate race, Kennett and Lawson making the powerful starts that had been an all-too-rare occurrence for Vatcher’s troops.

Heat 15 was far from a procession as the improving Lawson took the chequered flag despite North’s efforts. However, the damage had already been done.

Pirates are now just four points behind table-toppers Coventry with two meetings in hand and the prospect of an unprecedented third straight Elite League title looms large.

Ward or no Ward, winning is everything.

RIDERS’ SCORES AND HEAT DETAILS

Pirates 60: 1 Chris Holder (3-2*-2*-3) 10+2, 2 Davey Watt (2*-3-3-3-1*) 12+2, 3 Dakota North (1-3-1-1-2) 8, 4 Kacper Gomolski (2-1-3-r) 6, 5 Maciej Janowski (3-3-3-2*) 11+1, 6 Paul Starke (3-2*-1-1*) 7+2, 7 Kyle Newman (1-1*-2*-2) 6+2. Team manager: Neil Middleditch.

Hammers 30: 1 Andreas Jonsson (1-0^-2-1) 4, 2 Kyle Howarth, guest (0-0-1-0) 1, 3 Edward Kennett (2-1-1-3-0) 7, 4 Richard Lawson (r-r-2-2*-3) 7+1, 5 Vaclav Milik, guest (0-2-0-r) 2, 6 Carl Wilkinson, guest (2-1-0-r) 3, 7 Adam Ellis (0-3-0-3) 6. Team manager: Neil Vatcher.

Ht 1 (re-run): Holder, Watt, Jonsson, Howarth (15m tapes), 59.69 (5-1)

Ht 2 (re-run): Starke, Wilkinson, Newman, Ellis, 60.63 (9-3)

Ht 3: Janowski, Kennett, North, Milik, 60.06 (13-5)

Ht 4: Ellis, Gomolski, Newman, Lawson (retired), 60.72 (16-8)

Ht 5: Watt, Starke, Wilkinson, Howarth, 61.18 (21-9)

Ht 6 (re-run): North, Milik, Gomolski, Jonsson (tactical), 60.37 (25-11)

Ht 7: Janowski, Holder, Kennett, Lawson (retired), 60.35 (30-12)

Ht 8: Gomolski, Newman, Howarth, Ellis, 60.43 (35-13)

Ht 9: Watt, Lawson, Starke, Wilkinson, 61.03 (39-15)

Ht 10: Janowski, Jonsson, North, Howarth, 59.97 (43-17)

Ht 11: Watt, Holder, Kennett, Milik, 60.44 (48-18)

Ht 12: Ellis, Newman, Starke, Wilkinson (fell/retired), 61.66 (51-21)

Ht 13: Holder, Janowski, Jonsson, Milik (retired), 60.10 (56-22)                  

Ht 14: Kennett, Lawson, North, Gomolski (retired), 60.65 (57-27)

Ht 15: Lawson, North, Watt, Kennett, 60.87 (60-30)

ECHO STAR RIDER – DAVEY WATT

There were no shortage of candidates for the gong and Chris Holder and Maciej Janowski made strong claims with paid maximums.

But Davey Watt was Pirates’ star man with the Aussie’s recent progress borne out in his belting 12 paid 14 haul.

The veteran Aussie looked relaxed and at ease as he blew away what little challenge there was from his old team.

In truth, Watt’s effort was just one part of a top team performance.