NEIL Middleditch was left to rue a dramatic twist in the tail as Pirates saw SGB Premiership points go begging at Rye House.

Pirates were on course for a 3-3 in heat 14 but reserve Stefan Nielsen lost power on the final lap and the Rockets snatched a 5-1.

That gave the hosts a six-point lead and, after Kacper Woryna and new signing Richie Worrall banked a 3-3, Poole took a point from the 48-42 loss.

Reflecting on a sixth straight competitive defeat, team boss Middleditch told the Daily Echo: “I would have taken a point at the start of the meeting but in hindsight I feel we deserved more.

“We were dreadfully unlucky with Stefan in heat 14. He was leading by a mile but his grip came off the throttle so he couldn’t turn the throttle on.

“Josh (Grajczonek) had a bit of an unlucky night. He got beaten up in the first corner a couple of times and had a nasty fall in heat 14.

“It was a solid performance from Richie and Stefan was outstanding. He did his job at reserve as did Mateusz (Szczepaniak).

“It was a bit of a lean night for Brady (Kurtz) but there was improvement from Linus (Sundstrom), which was nice to see.

“Generally, I’m pleased with the boys – they showed some spirit. It was an improvement and a good point.”

Hoddesdon proved a gaters’ paradise from the word go. The hosts’ Aaron Summers was the surprise winner of heat one before Szczepaniak and Nielsen racked up a 5-1.

Back came the Rockets with a maximum of their own but Nielsen, who had endured a rough debut at Swindon, was reinvigorated and blasted from the tapes to win heat four.

Worrall was passed by Scott Nicholls on turn four of lap one but Poole had a two-point lead.

Heat five was shared and Chris Harris and Summers levelled things up in heat six.

Woryna then prevented a Rye 5-1 when he split Nicholls and Nikolai Busk Jakobsen with a tremendous pass on the final lap.

And Nielsen remained on course for a paid maximum with a second place behind Sundstrom, the visitors inching back in front as a result.

A second win for Szczepaniak – supported by Worrall – gave Pirates clear air but the advantage was slashed when the decision to put Nielsen in for the off-colour Grajczonek in heat 10 failed to pay off.

The Rockets re-took the lead with a 5-1 spearheaded by Busk Jakobsen but Woryna rounded his competitors en route to a brilliant victory next.

Poole ensured it stayed close by keeping Harris at the back in heat 13 but the exclusion of Grajczonek for wiping out Busk Jakobsen in the penultimate duel hit the visitors’ charge, the latter taken off track in an ambulance.

It appeared Nielsen had covered the mistake but he was passed by Edward Kennett and Max Clegg after losing power.

That left Poole six points adrift but Woryna and Worrall ensured the visitors took a point home.

RIDERS' SCORES AND HEAT DETAILS

Rye 48: 1 Chris Harris (0-3-3-0) 6, 2 Aaron Summers (3-1-1-2*) 7+1, 3 Krzysztof Kasprzak (3-3-0-2-3) 11, 4 Edward Kennett (2*-r-1-3) 6+1, 5 Scott Nicholls (2-3-2*-3-0) 10+1, 6 Nikolaj Busk Jakobsen (1-1-3-1*) 6+1, 7 Max Clegg (0-0-0-2*) 2+1.

Pirates 42: 1 Brady Kurtz (2-2-0-2) 6, 2 Linus Sundstrom (1*-1*-3-1) 6+2, 3 Kacper Woryna (0-2-1-3-2) 8, 4 Josh Grajczonek (1-r-fx) 1, 5 Richie Worrall (1-2-2*-1*-1*) 7+3, 6 Mateusz Szczepaniak (3-0-3-0) 6, 7 Stefan Nielsen (2*-3-2*-0-1) 8+2.

HT 1: Summers, Kurtz, Sundstrom, Harris (3-3)

HT 2: Szczepaniak, Nielsen, Busk Jakobsen, Clegg, 57.59 (8-4)

HT 3: Kasprzak, Kennett, Grajczonek, Woryna, 56.81 (9-9)

HT 4: Nielsen, Nicholls, Worrall, Clegg, 56.65 (11-13)

HT 5: Kasprzak, Kurtz, Sundstrom, Kennett (ret), 56.20 (14-16)

HT 6: Harris, Worrall, Summers, Szczepaniak, 56.37 (18-18)

HT 7: Nicholls, Woryna, Busk Jakobsen, Grajczonek (ret), 58.00 (22-20)

HT 8: Sundstrom, Nielsen, Summers, Clegg, 57.66 (23-25)

HT 9: Szczepaniak, Worrall, Kennett, Kasprzak, 56.70 (24-30)

HT 10: Harris, Summers, Woryna, Nielsen, 56.93 (29-31)

HT 11 (re-run): Busk Jakobsen, Nicholls, Sundstrom, Kurtz, 58.21 (34-32)

HT 12: Woryna, Kasprzak, Busk Jakobsen, Szczepaniak, 56.81 (37-35)

HT 13: Nicholls, Kurtz, Worrall, Harris, 56.94 (40-38)

HT 14 (re-run): Kennett, Clegg, Nielsen, Grajczonek (fell/dsq), 58.94 (45-39)

HT 15: Kasprzak, Woryna, Worrall, Nicholls, 57.00 (48-42)

ECHO STAR RIDER: KACPER WORYNA

IT WAS not a meeting littered with passing but Kacper Woryna was responsible for some of the night’s most thrilling moments.

The young Pole is starting to find his feet in British racing and his moves in heats seven and 12 provided good signs for the future.

Beating Scott Nicholls in heat 15 appeared a tough task on paper but Woryna – and team-mate Richie Worrall – accomplished it.

Top marks also to Stefan Nielsen who put behind him a tough debut against Swindon with eight paid 10 at reserve.

Mateusz Szczepaniak also continued his improvement.