RICKY Kling says he is in a rush to shed his reserve tag and is desperate to prove his flying start for Pirates was no flash in the pan.

The 24-year-old Swede has experienced his fair share of false dawns since cutting his teeth in Britain with Oxford five years ago.

Kling, a Pirates asset since 2009, hit the ground running when he starred on debut in Poole Coastal Aluminum’s Elite Shield triumph over Wolves.

The former Swedish under-21 champion banked paid 19 points over the two legs and was in scintillating form as Pirates downed Wolves in their own back yard at Monmore Green.

Kling will be hoping to maintain his impressive start when Pirates host one of his former clubs Belle Vue in a challenge |at Wimborne Road tonight (7.30pm).

He told the Daily Echo: “I was a bit nervous to start with at Wolves because it was my first meeting.

“But I made the first gate and that helped take away the butterflies. There was a trophy on the line so it was great to pop out and have a good start.

“I have always enjoyed riding at Wolves and the track has always treated me well. I usually score fairly well there so it was nice to prove I could do it again. It was great to get 10 points and it was certainly better than getting five!

“I had an average night in the return leg and it would have been better but for a re-run in heat seven after Nicolai Klindt had taken a fall. I was on a 5-1 with Adrian Miedzinski but Ty Proctor flew from the gate in the re-run and we couldn’t stop him.”

Kling, who won the Elite Shield with Eastbourne in 2009, added: “I have always known I have had the ability to put in these performances but I haven’t been able to show it on the track in the past couple of years.

“It has been a bit up and down for me. I had a few good meetings last year but I want to have more and I want to keep progressing. Consistency is going to be important.

“I am keen to show I haven’t ridden above my level in my first two meetings for Poole.

“I hope it was my level and not an over-performance. It is all about being correctly prepared and doing the hard work. I hope to step it up now.

“I want to work my way up into the main body of the team and, if I can get there, I want to stay there. I want to prove a point, especially to myself, that I can do it.”

Kling will ride at number three against the Aces tonight, with Darcy Ward taking Chris Holder’s number one berth.

Holder has flown to New Zealand ahead of Saturday’s opening Grand Prix in Auckland.