JASON Crump suffered a bittersweet return to Belle Vue on Monday night, scorching to the first league maximum by a visiting rider there since 2001 but still ending up on a well-beaten side.

Pirates had travelled to Kirky Lane with high expectations, particularly as the Aces are not rated as one of the best sides in the Elite League this year.

But apart from Crump, who was transferred from Belle Vue to the Dorset club over the winter, and Bjarne Pedersen, Poole Castle Cover quite simply weren't at the races.

Fair enough, they were out of luck in the first heat when they looked on course for a 5-1 before an ignition problem caused Ed Kennett's bike to splutter to a halt on the final lap.

However, after that, everything fell apart for Pirates, who slumped to a 12-point reverse despite a last heat 5-1 from Crump, who got a 15 point maximum, and Pedersen, who got 11 paid 12.

Troy Batchelor (5+1) and Kennett (4) both probably deserved more, but Craig Boyce (2) and Jason Doyle (1+1) couldn't get the hang of Kirky Lane's tight little circuit.

And Sergey Darkin suffered another Poole nightmare, failing to score from three rides to follow up his non-scoring four-rider against Eastbourne at home last week.

Pirates team manager Neil Middleditch, who saw his side's use of the tactical ride nullified by Simon Stead and James Wright in heat 10, said: "Of course we're disappointed to lose.

"But the message to our fans is don't panic, don't start judging our team over this defeat.' "It is only one meeting and there are a lot more to come. The league is a marathon, not a sprint. There is a long way to go.

"There are always positives, and the positives were Crumpy and Bjarne, while Ed and Troy also did well.

"Craig, Doyley and Sergey didn't really get going, but Belle Vue is always a tricky track to master, so don't read too much into this one."

Crump, returning to Belle Vue for the first time since his controversial £28,000 move to Poole, was only headed once by an Ace, briefly by Kaj Laukannen in heat 11.

But he quickly passed the Finn on the second bend and looked majestic as he ended the night with 99 wins in his last 115 top flight races.

Crump also became the first visitor to notch a maximum at Kirky Lane since Pirates duo Krzysztof Cegielski (5:15) and Tony Rickardsson (4:12) did on the same night in 2001.

Belle Vue's strength in depth saw them lead 25-17 after seven heats, despite Crump and Pedersen winning four of them.

Middleditch had the opportunity to bring Crump in as a tactical substitute off a 15-metre handicap in heat eight but didn't.

Then Pedersen was outgated by Stead (10+1) and surprise match-winner Wright (10+2) in heat 10 while riding for double points as Poole's challenge dropped completely away.

Middleditch said: "I did speak to Jason about heat eight but he said it was just too hard to come from that far back on this track.

"We had Ed and Troy, who had both been riding well, in already, so we left it at that.

"It was hard enough from the tapes. You have to be a realist. There is no point tossing points away."

On using Pedersen as a tactical and not Crump, Middleditch added: "Bjarne was already in heat 10 and was unbeaten. The thinking was we might still be able to use Jason as a substitute if we needed to later on.

"I spoke to Bjarne and he was up for it. It didn't work out, but it is all very well saying that afterwards, you have to make your decision at that second."

World Cup draw: Team GB have been drawn against Sweden, USA and qualifier two in round two of the Speedway World Cup at Coventry on Monday, July 16.

Cup holders Denmark, Australia, Poland and qualifier one meet in round one at Vojens two nights before. The race-off and final are at Leszno, Poland, on July 19 and 21.