HOW apt that acclaimed novelist Robert Louis Stevenson should have penned chapters of one of his finest works in nearby Westbourne.

It could have been based on a year in the life of the local speedway team, the Poole Pirates.

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde epitomises the Castle Cover-sponsored outfit’s turbulent 2009 season.

Picture the scene… “Riding in red for the Castle Cover Pirates is Dr Jekyll,” booms the Tannoy man. “He’s had an outstanding season and has been one of our most consistent performers.

“However, riding in blue is Mr Hyde. Although he was brilliant last season, he’s been a waste of space this time around and is one of the reasons we have gone from heroes to zeros.”

And so the sorry story continued last night as the two contrasting sides to Pirates’ unpredictable campaign reared their head as the Dorset club’s relegation worries intensified.

A shower in April when the Bees crushed them by 31 points, Pirates were almost unrecognisable as they set out trying to right the wrong of four months ago.

Only Bjarne Pedersen, Chris Holder and Joe Screen remained from that dark night when Pirates suffered the third heaviest home defeat in their proud 61-year history.

But the trio could only manage four heat wins – as many as Coventry’s Chris Harris – as Pirates tossed away a three-point lead with two heats remaining.

And with a supporter-base that has been weaned on success and silverware behind them, Pirates could deliver nothing more than a wooden spoon to the trophy cabinet this season.

Harris set the tone in the opening heat when he led from pillar to post before Pirates new boy Leon Madsen made an impressive debut in heat three, holding off Martin Smolinski to claim a point.

But after Oliver Allen had got the better of an enthralling dual with Holder to land the spoils in heat four, Pirates again failed to head Harris in heat five, the flying Cornishman cruising to a second win.

However, the tide turned when Pirates were gifted a 5-0 in heat six after Allen and Wells both retired, with Andersen and Screen profiting.

Holder left Ed Kennett trailing in his wake as Pirates extended their lead to 22-19 after heat seven before Boxall was denied the runner-up spot in heat eight – thanks to an inspired display of daredevil riding from Ben Barker who claimed second by a short head in a bobbing finish.

Successive heat wins for Allen and Kennett saw the visitors reduce the arrears to a point after 10 races and Harris showed Holder a clean pair of heels to bring up his hat-trick in heat 11.

Madsen’s victory in the next saw him earn a standing ovation from the home crowd as Pirates crept 36-35 ahead before referee Dave Robinson earned the wrath of the Wimborne Road faithful when he deemed the start of heat 13 unsatisfactory after Allen’s bike had reared up.

But in the re-run, Holder was always in command as he avenged his earlier defeat by Harris when the Aussie claimed an Ashes-style victory over the Englishman to give Pirates a three-point lead.

Disaster struck for Pirates in the penultimate heat though when Barker and Kennett teamed up for a crucial 5-1 to ensure a nail-biting finale.

And Harris rubbed salt into their gaping wounds when he stormed to victory in the final heat, with neither Andersen nor Holder able to peg back the Bees spearhead.

Pirates 43: 1 Hans Andersen (2, 3, 0, 1, 2) 8, 2 Joe Screen (1*, 2*, 3, 2) 8+2, 3 Leon Madsen (1, 0, 0, 3) 4, 4 Bjarne Pedersen (3, 2, 2, 1) 8, 5 Chris Holder (2, 3, 2, 3, 0) 10, 6 Ben Wilson (2, 0, 1, 0) 3, 7 Steve Boxall (exc, 1, 1) 2.

Team manager: Neil Middleditch.

Bees 46: 1 Chris Harris (3, 3, 3, 2, 3) 14, 2 Filip Sitera (0, 1, 0) 1, 3 Martin Smolinksi (0, 0, 2) 2, 4 Edward Kennett (2, 2, 3, 2, 1) 10, 5 Oliver Allen (3, rtd, 3, 0) 6, 6 Ricky Wells (1, rtd, 1) 2, 7 Ben Barker (3, 1, 2, 1, 1, 0, 3) 11.

Team manager: Peter Oakes.

Referee: Dave Robinson.

Ht 1: Harris, Andersen, Screen, Sitera, 60.63, (3-3).

Ht 2: (re-run) Barker, Wilson, Wells, Boxall exc, 61.34, (5-7).

Ht 3: Pedersen, Kennett, Madsen, Smolinski, 61.43, (9-9).

Ht 4: Allen, Holder, Barker, Wilson, 61.82, (11-13).

Ht 5: Harris, Pedersen, Sitera, Madsen, 61.66, (13-17).

Ht 6: Andersen, Screen, Allen (rtd), Wells (rtd), 62.03, (18-17).

Ht 7: Holder, Kennett, Wilson, Smolinski, 61.10, (22-19).

Ht 8: Screen, Barker, Boxall, Sitera, 64.53, (26-21).

Ht 9: Allen, Pedersen, Wells, Madsen, 64.21, (28-25).

Ht 10: Kennett, Screen, Barker, Andersen (fell, rem) 63.68 (30-29).

Ht 11: Harris, Holder, Barker, Wilson, 63.38, (32-33).

Ht 12: Madsen, Smolinski, Boxall, Barker, 63.59, (36-35).

Ht 13: (re-run) Holder, Harris, Andersen, Allen, 62.67, (40-37).

Ht 14: Barker, Kennett, Pedersen, Wilson, 64.41, (41-42).

Ht 15: Harris, Andersen, Kennett, Holder, 62.61, (43-46).