A RUTHLESS showing by Stefan Nielsen helped Pirates claim their first SGB Premiership victory since the opening night.

Nielsen led a sensational reserve charge against Rye House which saw Poole effectively wipe out excellent individual displays higher up the Rockets order by Scott Nicholls and Chris Harris.

The Pirates line-up showed one change with rider replacement operated in the absence of Richie Worrall, who had crashed in the British semi-final 24 hours previously.

Rye House also made a switch enforced by Nikolaj Busk Jakobsen’s concussion which he had sustained against Poole on Monday. Berwick’s Kevin Doolan swooped in to fulfil a guest role.

Extensive work was required on the track prior to heat one, with racing eventually getting under way some 20 minutes later than planned.

Rye House were on a 5-1 when Aaron Summers made the gate, with Harris soon roaring to the front. But Linus Sundstrom’s persistence paid off when he forced his way past Summers with two turns remaining.

Doolan was excluded after he clipped Mateusz Szczepaniak and Max Clegg laid his bike down to avoid the carnage. Szczepaniak locked up horribly while leading the re-run but only Nielsen came through and Poole had a 5-1.

Returning to his old stomping ground, Krzysztof Kasprzak was a comfortable winner of heat three while the next duel was drawn as Nielsen pushed Nicholls hard early on.

Rye House secured a maximum with Harris at the helm, although Kacper Woryna pushed Summers hard on the run to the line.

Former Grand Prix racer Nicholls then eased to the chequered flag and the visitors had five wins in six heats.

Showing speed from the gate which he had rarely mustered while a Poole rider in 2017, Kasprzak stormed to heat seven success and the Rockets retained their two-point lead.

The relief in the stadium was palpable when Poole made the gate next, Sundstrom in cruise control while Nielsen was equally comfortable in second.

There was cruel luck for Woryna who had done brilliantly to stay on his machine following a turn-two duel with Nicholls. The Pole pulled up on the final turn with Pirates on a 4-2, his third place being gobbled up by Doolan.

Brady Kurtz roared into life in heat 10 and Sundstrom lowered the colours of Kasprzak, the 5-1 putting Pirates six ahead on the scoreboard.

Harris maintained his unbeaten run to reduce the lead and Kasprzak produced another gating masterclass in heat 12.

Poole had a huge stroke of luck next when the second-placed Harris fell with the Rockets on a 5-1, meaning the hosts had escaped with a 3-3.

And Pirates made the most of their fortune when Nielsen and Josh Grajczonek powered to a maximum.

Harris and Nicholls got the Rockets the point they deserved in the final showdown.

RIDERS’ SCORES AND HEAT DETAILS

Pirates 47: 1 Brady Kurtz (0-2-3-2-0) 7, 2 Linus Sundstrom (2-1*-3-2*-1) 9+2, 3 Kacper Woryna (1*-1-1*-0-2) 5+2, 4 Josh Grajczonek (2-0-3-2-2*) 9+1, 5 Richie Worrall r/r, 6 Mateusz Szczepaniak (2*-1*-2-0-1*) 6+3, 7 Stefan Nielsen (3-2-2*-1*-3) 11+2.

Rye House 43: 1 Chris Harris (3-3-3-f-3) 12, 2 Aaron Summers (1-2*-1-1) 5+1, 3 Krzysztof Kasprzak (3-3-1-3) 10, 4 Edward Kennett (r-0-0-1) 1, 5 Scott Nicholls (3-3-2-3-2*) 13+1, 6 Kevin Doolan, guest (fx-0-1*-0) 1+1, 7 Max Clegg (1-0-0-0) 1.

HT 1: Harris, Sundstrom, Summers, Kurtz, 61.13 (2-4)

HT 2 (re-run): Nielsen, Szczepaniak, Clegg, Doolan (fell/dsq), 61.81 (7-5)

HT 3: Kasprzak, Grajczonek, Woryna, Kennett (ret), 61.25 (10-8)

HT 4: Nicholls, Nielsen, Szczepaniak, Clegg, 61.28 (13-11)

HT 5: Harris, Summers, Woryna, Grajczonek, 61.09 (14-16)

HT 6: Nicholls, Kurtz, Sundstrom, Doolan, 60.96 (17-19)

HT 7: Kasprzak, Szczepaniak, Woryna, Kennett, 60.97 (20-22)

HT 8: Sundstrom, Nielsen, Summers, Clegg, 61.09 (25-23)

HT 9: Grajczonek, Nicholls, Doolan, Woryna, 61.59 (28-26)

HT 10: Kurtz, Sundstrom, Kasprzak, Kennett, 61.47 (33-27)

HT 11: Harris, Grajczonek, Summers, Szczepaniak, 61.41 (35-31)

HT 12: Kasprzak, Woryna, Nielsen, Doolan, 61.66 (38-34)

HT 13: Nicholls, Kurtz, Szczepaniak, Harris (fell), awarded (41-37)

HT 14: Nielsen, Grajczonek, Kennett, Clegg, 62.87 (46-38)

HT 15: Harris, Nicholls, Sundstrom, Kurtz, 61.81 (47-43)

ECHO STAR RIDER: STEFAN NIELSEN

Brought in to replace James Shanes, British international Stefan Nielsen is proving a terrific acquisition.

Although he endured a rough debut at Swindon, an excellent return at Hoddesdon on Monday revealed more promise and the Denmark-born ace backed that up at Wimborne Road.

Nielsen was always on the pace and mixing it with opposition riders – no matter who they were – which gave Pirates plenty of points-scoring power at reserve with Mateusz Szczepaniak also chipping in.

A score of 17 paid 22 combined from the pair could not be argued with.