PIRATES spearhead Jason Crump rued the fact they were just "bystanders" as Coventry pipped Swindon to the Craven Shield title at Brandon last night.

He top-scored for Poole Castle Cover as they struggled to reach 23 points as the Robins notched 50 and Swindon 35.

Coventry, who had seen a 17-point lead over Swindon evaporate inside only eight heats, eventually won on aggregate after a last-race decider.

They scored 120 overall from the three legs of the final with Swindon on 118 and Pirates on 86.

Crump said: "It was always going to be hard after we fell so far behind in the opening two legs.

"We just haven't had a good year, and there is nothing more I can say really.

"I was probably ordinary tonight, especially in my last race (when Swindon 's Tomasz Chrzanowski and guest Fredrik Lindgren snatched a 5-1 in heat 17).

"I guess we were all a bit off key because we knew as a team we were really out of it.

"Swindon rode exceptionally well tonight to push Coventry all the way."

Poole's tally of 23 was their lowest in 26 Craven Shield three-team tournament meetings since the competition was inaugurated in 1999.

Crump took the chequered flag once last night with Bjarne Pedersen winning two races, including the last one in which a 3-3 saw Coventry finally prise the trophy away from Poole , who had won it in 2006.

The Australian will be looking to do better in the King of Brandon at Coventry on October 28.

"I haven't done that one before so it will be something different, then that is it for me this year."