FORMER Pirates star Krzysztof Kasprzak came back to haunt his beleaguered old side with a vengeance as he inspired rampant Rye House to a landslide 60-30 victory at Wimborne Road last night.

Kasprzak was deposed as Pirates No.1 by club owner Matt Ford last month after an horrific start to 2017, which saw him arrive as top dog on an 11.08 average and leave on a paltry 5.51 figure.

His woeful display brought him back to a chorus of boos on parade. But it was the former world No.2, now occupying a Rockets reserve berth, who had the last laugh as he rediscovered his electrifying gating to consign a sluggish Pirates side to their fifth straight home loss.

There’s no doubt Kasprzak’s struggles were a big factor in Poole’s lacklustre season as he hit double figures just once before being sacked. So his sublime 11 paid 12-point maximum will stick in the throat of Pirates fans, upset that he couldn’t hit these heights for his parent club this year.

The hosts were simply hopeless from the starts on a night while fell just a point short of their worst loss of the Ford era – a 63-32 defeat at home to Coventry on April 15, 2009.

Aussie pair Brady Kurtz and Jack Holder were out-trapped by Rye House’s Cornish duo Ben Barker and Chris Harris in race one. Despite a great challenge from Kurtz on his first race back after recovering from broken ribs, he couldn’t prevent a Rockets 5-1.

It was then Kasprzak turn to make his Wimborne Road comeback. He left a villain and was happy to maintain that reputation as he trapped in the reserves race, seeing off Paul Starke for the win. Rockets’ Ben Morley fended off a determined James Shanes challenge to secure a 4-2 for the visitors.

Rye House extended their advantage to eight points as Ricky Wells led Stuart Robson to a 4-2, with Edward Kennett working hard to limit the damage for Poole by securing second spot.

Pirates needed a captain’s ride to turn the tide, and Hans Andersen produced it, seeing off Scott Nicholls to win race four.

But it proved a flash in the pan. Harris – a man often ridiculed for his slow starts – once again showed Poole how to trap as he and Barker left Kennett and Lahti behind for another 5-1 in heat five.

Things went from bad to worse in heat six. Kasprzak found himself in disagreement with start marshal Rob Wadham over his position at the tapes, with referee Dave Robinson popping out of the box to clarify matters.

It clearly didn’t unsettle the Pole, who made a lightening gate to lead Nicholls to a 4-2, with Kurtz second for Pirates.

Poole boss Neil Middleditch rolled the dice and sent Andersen out for a tactical ride in race seven. But it summed up his side’s night when Wells and Robson blazed clear for Rockets’ third maximum to leave the red-faced hosts 18 down.

Barker made another jet-propelled start to win race eight for Rye House, with Holder and Starke filling the minor places for Poole.

Nicholls and Kasprzak piled on the pain for Pirates with another Rockets maximum over Lahti and Kennett in race nine.

Rye House then put the meeting beyond Poole before the interval, when Wells and Robson left Kurtz and Holder eating dust from the tapes for a 5-1 to put the away side 43-17 clear.

It took Pirates 11 heats to find their gating gloves. Starke and Andersen delivered sensational starts to bag a maximum over Harris and Barker.

Having produced Poole’s only heat advantage of the meeting, Starke’s night ended in spectacular style in heat 12 when he was clipped going into turn three, hitting the air bag at the fastest part of the track.

After flying over the high side of the bike, Starke mercifully climbed to his feet, with the punctured air bag taking the brunt of a heavy impact.

With one of the fence posts heavily damaged, there was a lengthy delay before the action resumed, minus the excluded Starke. Kasprzak triumphed, with Lahti passing Wells on lap two for second.

Harris and Nicholls teamed up for a 4-2 over Andersen and Kurtz in race 13.

But Shanes brought a welcome ray of light to a bleak night for Poole, with a superb start and victory in heat 14. It should have been a Pirates 5-1, but Kennett packed up on the penultimate turn while in first place.

Poole’s horror show ended with more mechanical misfortune, when Andersen broke down while heading heat 15, with Harris and Nicholls claiming a maximum to polish off a 30-point pummelling.