POOLE suffered a second-half collapse as they crashed to a heavy Elite League defeat in Manchester on April 4.

RIAS Pirates trailed by only two points after nine races, but were unable to live with the league's early pace-setters over the final six heats, when they conceded three 5-1s and one 5-2.

It leaves the Dorset club with a mountain to climb if they are to secure the bonus point in the return at Wimborne Road on Wednesday, April 13.

The south coast outfit's third league defeat of the season leaves them in fifth place with five points, four behind the Aces, who are two points clear at the top.

Poole shared the first two heats after the start of the meeting was delayed for 20 minutes while paramedics treated an elderly Belle Vue fan who had been taken ill in the crowd.

Pirates pair Krzysztof Kasprzak and Bjarne Pedersen were content to follow home Joe Screen in the opener.

And then Ray Morton led the reserves' race until the second bend of the final lap when a slight slip saw him drift wide and Andy Smith took advantage to dive under for the win.

Pirates suffered a double blow in heat three when Matej Ferjan was excluded for touching the tapes and Antonio Lindback packed up on the first bend, leaving the Slovenian's replacement Ricky Ashworth to trail in behind the home pair of Kenneth Bjerre and Jason Lyons.

But there was delight for the travelling fans when Ryan Sullivan out-gated fellow Aussie Jason Crump in heat four and comfortably held off the world champion with Ashworth in third.

Pirates then levelled at 15-15 after Kasprzak and Pedersen made the start in heat six, although they had to settle for a 4-2 when Bjerre passed his countryman on the second lap.

Poole had a bit of a let off in the next race when Screen stopped after passing Morton on the second lap with Simon Stead coming from behind to take the chequered flag.

Belle Vue regained the lead in heat seven after Smith passed ex-Ace Ferjan for a point and two further drawn heats followed before Lindback suffered more mechanical problems in heat 10.

The Swede was the early leader but after being passed by the wide riding Screen at the end of the first lap he ground to a halt and the Aces took maximum points to go six up.

Pedersen fell at the back in heat 11 as Belle Vue stretched their lead with a 4-2 and then Bjerre and Smith - who replaced fellow reserve Steve Masters - weighed in with a 5-1.

At 12 points down, Poole gave Sullivan a tactical ride in heat 13 but he had to settle for third in a 4-3 for the Pirates after he battled past Screen on the final bend.

Pedersen, in second place behind Crump, was unable to slow down enough in the run-in to the finish line to allow Sullivan past to get the extra double points.

Lindback also had a tactical ride in the penultimate race but he could only finish third behind Smith and ex-Pirate Lyons, who passed him at the midway point.

Poole's hopes of the aggregate bonus point were left hanging by a thread when Sullivan and Kasprzak got in each others way on the second bend after gating in front of Bjerre and Crump in the last race and conceded another 5-1.

Pirates will bid to bounce back to winning form when they entertain Arena-Essex in the league on April 6 (7.30pm).

Heat Details

Belle Vue 55: 1 Joe Screen (3-ret-3-0) 6, 2 Simon Stead (0-3-3-2*) 8+1, 3 Kenneth Bjerre (3-2-2-3-3) 13, 4 Jason Lyons (2*-0-1*-2*) 5+3, 5 Jason Crump (2-3-3-3-2*) 13+1, 6 Andy Smith (3-1-1-2*-3) 10+1, 7 Steve Masters (0-0-fell) 0. Team manager: Ian Thomas. Pirates 37: 1 Bjarne Pedersen (1*-1-fell-2) 4+1, 2 Krzysztof Kasprzak (2-3-2-2-ret) 9, 3 Matej Ferjan (exc tapes-0-1-0) 1, 4 Antonio Lindback (ret-2-ret-2) 4, 5 Ryan Sullivan (3-1*-3-2*-1) 10+2, 6 Ray Morton (2-2-0-1) 5, 7 Ricky Ashworth (1*-1-1-1*-0) 4+2. Team manager: Neil Middleditch. Referee: Graham Flint. Ht 1: Screen, Kasprzak, Pedersen, Stead, 59.3 (3-3). Ht 2: Smith, Morton, Ashworth, Masters, 61.0 (6-6). Ht 3: Bjerre, Lyons, Ashworth, Lindback (retired), Ferjan (excluded tapes), 60.1 (11-7). Ht 4: Sullivan, Crump, Ashworth, Masters, 60.0 (13-11). Ht 5: Kasprzak, Bjerre, Pedersen, Lyons, 59.8 (15-15). Ht 6: Stead, Morton, Sullivan, Screen (retired), 60.7 (18-18). Ht 7: Crump, Lindback, Smith, Ferjan, 60.2 (22-20). Ht 8: Stead, Kasprzak, Ashworth, Masters (fell), 60.0 (25-23). Ht 9: Sullivan, Bjerre, Lyons, Morton, 60.2 (28-26). Ht 10: Screen, Stead, Ferjan, Lindback (retired), 61.4 (33-27). Ht 11: Crump, Kasprzak, Smith, Pedersen (fell), 60.3 (37-29). Ht 12: Bjerre, Smith, Morton, Ferjan, 60.5 (42-30). Ht 13: Crump, Pedersen, Sullivan (tactical rider, double points), Screen, 60.9 (45-34). Ht 14: Smith, Lyons, Lindback (tactical rider, double points), Ashworth, 60.4 (50-36). Ht 15: Bjerre, Crump, Sullivan, Kasprzak (retired), 60.5 (55-37). Last night's other results, Elite League: Peterborough 10 Swindon 8 (abandoned after three heats, rain, result does not stand). Elite League Knockout Cup, first round, first leg: Wolves 37 Ipswich 53. Fixtures, Wednesday, Elite League: Pirates v Arena-Essex. Thursday, Elite League: Oxford v Eastbourne, Swindon v Coventry. Elite League Knockout Cup, first round, second leg: Ipswich v Wolves.