PETERBOROUGH were left empty-handed on their travels as they were sent crashing to a 56-33 defeat at Poole on Wednesday.
But it looked as if it could have been so different earlier in the evening as the Readypower Panthers were in touch with the title favourites at the half-way stage of the meeting.
They trailed by just two-points after Heat 8, but the Pirates appeared to step up a gear when their home dominance was threatened and eventually ran out comfortable winners.
Norbert Kosciuch did show some good form again with a 9+4 score and was one of only two race winners for the Panthers - Richard Lawson was the other when he partnered Kosciuch to maximum points in Heat 2. Linus Sundstrom (9) and Krzysztof Buczkowski (6+1) gave a good account of themselves, but quiet nights for skipper Kenneth Bjerre (4) and Michael Jepsen Jensen (1+1) proved decisive.
Poole opened up the evening with a Chris Holder and Ricky Kling 5-1 in Heat 1 but Lawson and Kosciuch immediately restored parity in Heat 2.
Pirates chipped away to build up an 18-12 lead after Heat 5, only for Kosciuch and Buczkowski to shock the Wimborne Road crowd when they stormed to a superb 5-1 over Holder in Heat 6.
That cut the home lead to just two-points and it stayed that way for two more races as the Panthers continued to battle gamely.
But Heat 9 was a costly one as Buczkowski fell and Lawson retired - handing a 5-0 to the Pirates and from this point they began to pull away.
A Poole 4-2 was the result of Heat 10 followed by a 5-1 in Heat 11 – and Jepsen Jensen’s tactical ride in Heat 12 was ineffective as he finished last behind Darcy Ward, Linus Eklof and Kosciuch.
The impressive Krzysztof Kasprzak won his fourth ride alongside team-mate Holder in Heat 13 and the Pole completed his 15-point full-house in the final race of the night ahead of Sundstrom and Kosciuch.
POOLE 56: Krzysztof Kasprzak 15, Darcy Ward 11+1, Chris Holder 9+1, Dennis Andersson 9+1, Linus Eklof 5+1, Ludvid Lindgren 4+1, Ricky Kling 3+1.
PETERBOROUGH 33: Norbert Kosciuch 9+4, Linus Sundstrom 9, Krzysztof Buczkowski 6+1, Kenneth Bjerre 4, Richard Lawson 4, Michael Jepsen Jensen 1+1, Olly Allen R/R.