FORMER Pirates ace James Shanes described as a “mishap” his spell at Wimborne Road after agreeing a deal to join Swindon.

The 21-year-old this week became the sixth confirmed member of the Robins’ septet.

Shanes's debut season in the top flight at Poole in 2017 was a success.

He put nearly a point on his 2.00 starting average and immediately became a fans' favourite, which convinced boss Matt Ford to re-sign him for 2018.

But reserve Shanes endured a tough start to the campaign in a Poole race jacket last season before being replaced in May.

The Puddletown charger, who also rode for Sheffield and Birmingham during the previous campaign, insisted he was ready to fully establish himself at the top level.

Shanes said: “It was obviously a dream come true for me being at Poole but things didn’t work out in the end and that mishap is behind me now.

“I had a good year with Sheffield and Birmingham last year and I feel ready to come back into the Premiership.

“Swindon seems like a great club to be part of. They’ve got a lot of history, and it’s exciting to be going into a new era with the new stadium plans.

“I’m pleased to be part of it and they’ve put together a cracking team so I’m excited to get started.”