PIRATES heat leader Matej Ferjan brought the house down at Poole Stadium by beating World champion-elect Jason Crump from the back. (Sept 9)

Crumpie, the rider a large section of the Wimborne Road faithful still simply love to hate following his move away from Poole in 1996, had already pipped Ryan Sullivan to the chequered flag in a race four thriller.

Then, used as a tactical rider scoring double points in heat six, the Belle Vue Ace outgated Bjarne Pedersen and Magnus Zetterstrom to stroll to a comfortable victory.

It looked as though Crump, hot favourite to win this year's Grand Prix series, was going to go through the night unbeaten. But Ferjan, who had also reeled off two fine heat wins courtesy of some electric gating, had other ideas.

Crump, off the inside trap, jetted out from the tapes in front.

Ferjan, however, took off out of gate four superbly as well and scorched around the outside of the second bend to roar past the Australian as they entered the back straight.

Crump, who had to contend with Antonio Lindback snapping at his back wheel for two laps, tried everything to make up the ground.

But Ferjan kept cool and the throttle full on to power round the Wimborne Road circuit four times to win the race in his fastest winning time of 58.85 seconds.

The Poole RIAS faithful rose as one to salute Matej's marvellous triumph and his race 12 victory set up another tussle with Crump in the last heat.

Bjarne Pedersen and Belle Vue guest Craig Boyce were also in that heat but all eyes were fixed firmly on Ferjan and Crump.

Would the Slovenian be able to get his first Poole maximum?

Or would Crump gain quick revenge and quash Ferjan's hopes.

The answer came as soon as the tapes went up. Crump, off gate two, got out marginally in front of Ferjan, on the inside, headed wide straight for the dirt and won convincingly.

Ferjan had to settle for 14 points on a night when a Pirates victory was never in doubt against a depleted Aces outfit, who arrived without Rory Schlein, Kenneth Bjerre, Jan Jaros or either of Neil Collins, Carl Stonehewer or Scott Robson.

Sullivan's return to better form was timely for Pirates, particularly as they look ahead to the title play-off final in October.

Poole's Mark Lemon had got out in front of Sullivan and Crump and was leading going into the second turn of heat four.

Sullivan, followed by Crump, swept outside Lemon coming off the bend and Flyin' Ryan then led his compatriot impressively until the final bend of the fourth lap.

Sullivan looked as though he would get to the line first, but he drifted a fraction too wide and Crump nipped through the gap on the inside.

Crump's never-say-die attitude saw him pip Sullivan to the chequered flag by a wheel's length.

HEAT DETAILS

Pirates: 1 Bjarne Pedersen (3-2-3-2-1*) 11+1, 2 Magnus Zetterstrom (0-1*-0-2*) 3+2, 3 Matej Ferjan (3-3-3-3-2) 14, 4 Antonio Lindback (2*-1-1-3) 7+1, 5 Ryan Sullivan (2-3-3-1*) 9+1, 6 Daniel Davidsson (3-0-0-1) 4, 7 Mark Lemon (2*-1*-3-0) 6+2. Team manager: Neil Middleditch.

Belle Vue: 1 Ronnie Correy (exc tapes-0-1*-0) 1+1, 2 (guest) Craig Boyce (1*-1-2-2-2-0) 8+1, 3 Rider replacement for Kenneth Bjerre (injured), 4 Joe Screen (0-2-2-1*-2) 7+1, 5 Jason Crump (3-6-2-3-3) 17, 6 (guest) Graeme Gordon (2-1-0-0-2) 5, 7 (guest) Jason Bunyan (0-0-1*-1*-0-0) 2+2. Team manager: Jim Lynch.

Referee: Mike Posselwhite. Ht 1: (re-run) Pedersen, Gordon, Boyce, Zetterstrom, Correy (excluded tapes), 58.23 (3-3). Ht 2: Davidsson, Lemon, Gordon, Bunyan, 59.48 (8-4). Ht 3: Ferjan, Lindback, Boyce, Screen, 59.50 (13-5). Ht 4: Crump, Sullivan, Lemon, Bunyan, 58.57 (16-8). Ht 5: (re-run) Ferjan, Boyce, Lindback, Correy, 59.29 (20-10). Ht 6: Crump (tactical rider double points), Pedersen, Zetterstrom, Gordon, 59.01 (23-16). Ht 7: Sullivan, Screen, Bunyan, Davidsson, 59.29 (26-19). Ht 8: Lemon, Boyce, Bunyan, Zetterstrom, 59.75 (29-22). Ht 9: Ferjan, Crump, Lindback, Gordon, 58.85 (33-24). Ht 10: Pedersen, Zetterstrom, Screen (tactical rider double points), Bunyan, 59.63 (38-26). Ht 11: Sullivan, Boyce, Correy, Davidsson, 60.23 (41-29). Ht 12: Ferjan, Gordon, Screen, Lemon, 59.32 (44-32). Ht 13: Crump, Pedersen, Sullivan, Correy, 58.97 (47-35). Ht 14: Lindback, Screen, Davidsson, Bunyan, 59.39 (51-37). Ht 15: Crump, Ferjan, Pedersen, Boyce, 59.15 (54-40). Other Elite League results: Coventry 49 Eastbourne 41 (Eastbourne win bonus point), Ipswich 49 Arena Essex 41 (Ipswich win bonus point), Swindon 52 Oxford 44 (Oxford win bonus point).