Holder: Ref was right to exclude me (From Bournemouth Echo)

Holder: Ref was right to exclude me

5:41pm Tuesday 25th August 2009 in

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CHRIS Holder has revealed it was mechanical failure that led to his expensive last-heat exclusion during Pirates’ 53-42 defeat at Belle Vue on Monday.

Poole Castle Cover had gone into the race needing a 4-2 advantage to glean a vital away point from the Elite League clash.

That would have meant the Dorset club would restrict Aces to only two league points, rather than three.

Pirates would then be two points in front of basement boys Belle Vue, instead of locked on 25 each in the battle to avoid ninth place and a relegation play-off against the Premier League champions.

But the Manchester-based outfit grabbed an easy 5-1 when Holder had to go off a 15-metre handicap in the re-run as luck went against them once more in their worst season, arguably, since 1982.

At first, it was thought referee Stuart Wilson had harshly excluded Holder under the two-minute time allowance rule because he had backed away from the tapes just as they were about to go up.

However, Holder, who had already beaten Aces new boy Jason Crump two heats earlier, said: “I’ve got no qualms with the ref’s decision.

“I was at the start ready to go when my bike started to break down and when I pulled back to try and sort something out he excluded me.

“My bike broke down just before the green light was coming on. That meant I didn’t have time to get my second bike out there.

“I wasn’t going to go anywhere sat there. It was the right decision and just our hard luck.

“If I’d stayed there, I’d only have been left at the starting gate while the others rode away.

“By being excluded, I was able to try again and go off 15 metres. I only did it because I moved from gate three to four, which was the best gate, and it gave (Poole guest) Davey (Watt) a better chance off two of getting out in front of Jason.

“When it’s not your year, it’s just not your year. It seems bad luck like that is just wearing us down.”

Holder, whose side host Peterborough tomorrow (7.30pm) and only have four matches to get themselves out of relegation trouble, added: “Surely it’s about time we got some good luck.

“Hopefully on Wednesday it will be a better night for us and we can turn it around.

“It can’t get any worse. We just have to try and keep going and get two wins at home.

“It’s vitally important we beat Peterborough. We have to win.

“Everyone is more comfortable around Poole because the Belle Vue track was tricky after it had taken in a lot of rain.

“The start was delayed until 8.30pm and then we had trouble with the starting gate, which didn’t help.

“So I think it will be much better at Poole. It’s just a question of digging deep and making sure we don’t finish bottom.

“We just have to win our two home matches and see if we can keep it tight and get a point at Eastbourne on Friday and at Swindon on Monday.”

Talking about his heat 13 triumph over runaway Grand Prix leader Crump, Holder continued: “I had the bike set up perfectly after three rides so I knew I had a good chance to beat him.

“I had the best gate because gate four was working all night.

“I made a good start and then got away from him off the second bend. It was great.”