PIRATES suffered their first loss of this season’s Premiership Supporters’ cup campaign having fell to a resounding 53-37 home defeat to Swindon in the dust at Wimborne Road.

Jason Doyle and Troy Batchelor weighed in with 14 points for the visitors and Tobiasz Musielak totalled 13 paid 15, as Poole suffered their second home defeat in as many outings to begin the campaign. 

Pirates went into the contest without Richie Worrall, with the Merseysider on duty for Leicester’s clash at Redcar – that meant he hosts utilised rider replacement. 

Zach Wajtknech and James Shanes were unavailable for the Robins, meaning Dimitri Berge and James Sarjeant came in as guests. 

Doyle, who had won four of his five races when the sides drew 45-45 at Swindon less than 24 hours previously, picked up where he left off to take victory from the gate in the opener. 

Robins had been on a 5-1 with Dawid Lampart well set in second before he suffered mechanical gremlins and was forced to retire - allowing Nikolaj Busk Jakobsen and Jack Holder to force a shared heat. 

Guest Berge took the second ahead of Nico Covatti and Busk Jakobsen – and it was the visitors who took command with a maximum in heat three.

Tobiasz Musielak drew first blood with Adam Ellis backing him up to earn a 5-1 and put the Robins into a four-point advantage at 11-7. 

Robins continued their run of heat winners in heat four when Batchelor led from start to finish, Nicolai Klindt and Covatti followed to keep the hosts in the hunt. 

Former world champion Doyle then proceeded to dominate proceedings and finished ahead of Josh Grajczonek and Kurtz, who managed to pass Lampart before the latter fell on the final lap. 

Swindon’s string of heat wins kept coming with Batchelor the man to triumph in race six. Pirates clung on thanks to Holder and Covatti in the minor places. 

Argentinian Covatti then came unstuck on the first bend in heat seven, meaning he was excluded from the re-run. Klindt battled to second but Robins extended their advantage with a 4-2 thanks to a heat win for Musielak.

Danish star Klindt was back out again in the following heat and had been the first Pirates rider to record a race victory, having blasted past Berge.

But Poole failed to close the gap, despite the efforts of Busk Jakobsen, who battled gamely in an attempt to catch third-placed Lampart.

A first heat advantage then followed in heat nine as Kurtz looked full of speed to see off the threat of Batchelor. Grajczonek in third ensured Pirates trailed 29-25.

Musielak continued to be a pain for Pirates however as he surged to earn his third win of the meeting. Holder sealed second but Swindon extended to six points their advantage. 

Aussie ace Doyle continued to make it look easy as he led from the gate in a shared heat 11 but Swindon stamped their authority on the contest with a maximum in race 12. 

Batchelor and Musielak got the better of Holder and Grajczonek, who was forced to retire. The visitors surged 10 points clear. 

It got worse for Pirates as Kurtz flew into the fence in heat 13 and was excluded. Klindt battled to second in the re-run but Robins extended to 12 points their lead. 

Klindt became the only man to thwart Doyle throughout the meeting in the fans’ nominated heat 14, but it was not to matter as the Robins had the meeting sewn up. 

And salt was rubbed into the wounds of the hosts as Batchelor and Musielak teamed up for a maximum in the finale.

RIDERS' SCORES AND HEAT DETAILS

Pirates 37: 1 Jack Holder (1*,2,2,1,0) 6+1, 3 Nicolai Klindt (2,2,3,1*,2,3) 13+1, 4 Josh Grajczonek (1,2,1,ret,ret) 4, 5 Brady Kurtz (0,1*,3,fell/x,1) 5+1, 6 Nico Covatti (2,1*,1*,fell/x,0) 4+2, 7 Nicolaj Busk Jakobsen (2,1*,0,2) 5+1.

Swindon 53: 1 Jason Doyle (3,3,3,3,2) 14, 2 Dawid Lampart (ret,fell,1*,0,1*) 2+2, 3 Troy Batchelor (3,3,2,3,3) 14, 4 Adam Ellis (2*,1,1,1) 5+1, 5 Tobiasz Musielak (3,3,3,2*,2*) 13+2, 6 Dimitri Berge (3,0,2,0) 5, 7 James Sarjeant (0,0) 0.

HT 1: Doyle, Busk Jakobsen, Holder, Lampart (ret), (3-3).

HT 2: Berge, Covatti, Jakobsen, Sarjeant, (6-6).

HT 3: Musielak, Ellis, Grajczonek, Kurtz, (7-11).

HT 4: Batchelor, Klindt, Covatti, Sarjeant, (10-14).

HT 5: Doyle, Grajczonek, Kurtz, Lampart (fell) (13-17).

HT 6: Batchelor, Holder, Covatti, Berge, (16-20).

HT 7: Musielak, Klindt, Ellis, Covatti (fell/ex), (18-24).

HT 8: Klindt, Berge, Lampart, Jakobsen, (21-27).

HT 9: Kurtz, Batchelor, Grajczonek, Berge, (25-29).

HT 10: Musielak, Holder, Ellis, Covatti, (27-33).

HT 11: Doyle, Busk Jakobsen, Klindt, Lampart (30-36).

HT 12: Batchelor, Musielak, Holder, Grajczonek (ret)(31-41).

HT 13: Doyle, Klindt, Ellis, Kurtz (fell/ex), (33-45).

HT 14: Klindt, Doyle, Lampart, Holder, (36-48)

HT 15: Batchelor, Musielak, Kurtz, Grajczonek (ret), 37-53.