PIRATES team manager Neil Middleditch has given his firm backing to struggling Sergey Darkin.

But at the same time he has warned that Poole Castle Cover won't be afraid to make changes when necessary this term.

Pirates chiefs were heavily criticised by their fans for not dropping out-of-form riders quickly enough last term when they saw their Elite League title challenge falter.

So with the experienced Russian failing to score in his opening seven rides for the Dorset club at Wimborne Road and at Belle Vue, the spotlight among worried supporters has immediately fallen on the 33-year-old.

Indeed, Darkin's four-ride failure at home to Eastbourne last week was the worst debut by a non-reserve in Poole's 59-year history.

Middleditch, however, told the Echo: "My job as team manager is not to get on people's backs, my job is to try and lift them up.

"Of course I'm not happy he hasn't scored any points yet. I would prefer that he had scored some, but he knows what he has to do.

"I have spoken to Sergey and just told him 'I know you can race' and he knows that too. So, hopefully, he will sort it out against Ipswich at home on Wednesday (7.30pm).

"He knows Poole is a real racers' track and that he is a very good racer. And he certainly has the ability to do it.

"It is frustrating for Sergey to know he can do it but that he can't put his finger on why it is not happening at the moment.

"Fair enough, he has had two meetings and not scored, and as a manager I'm not too pleased with that, but neither is he.

"Sergey knows what to do, and if changes need to be made we will make changes, but not at this stage."

Pirates, who visit Peterborough on Thursday and Coventry on Friday, begin a hectic spell of three league matches inside three days tonight.

They will be hoping Darkin, hindered by a lack of practice caused by visa problems that stopped him coming to Britain early enough, can re-discover his top form quickly.

Middleditch said: "Sergey is very disappointed with his form, but you can't really practice now the season has started.

"It is just racing really. He had two days practice in Poland at the weekend and now it is just a case of getting on with it.

"It's also just a case of whether he feels his engines are running well enough.

"In a way it would be good if he could find something wrong with them and then we would know why he is failing to score.

"We're talking about a rider who top scored for Oxford at Belle Vue and beat Jason Crump into the bargain.

"So we are all firmly behind him and know that he can turn things around."

Ipswich arrive at Wimborne Road very much underdogs and without their spearhead Mark Loram, who sustained a compound fracture of his femur in a track spill last week.

Coventry's Scott Nicholls guests for the former world champion, while Poole line up with the same team that lost 52-38 at Belle Vue on Monday.

Middleditch said: "Scott coming in for Mark is like for like really. Scott will do what Mark can do.

"We just have to forget about our defeat at Belle Vue and make up for it with a win tonight."

Pirates: 1 Jason Crump, 2 Edward Kennett, 3 Bjarne Pedersen, 4 Sergey Darkin, 5 Craig Boyce, 6 Jason Doyle, 7 Troy Batchelor.

Ipswich: 1 Scott Nicholls (guest), 2 Kim Jansson, 3 Chris Louis, 4 Marcin Rempala, 5 Robert Miskowiak, 6 Zibi Suchecki, 7 Tobi Kroner.