IT was, perhaps, poetic justice that Bjarne Pedersen shot from behind in the final to secure Pirates their first victory in the Elite League Best Pairs' Championship on Saturday.

There looked to be no way through from the back for Poole Castle Cover's skipper as he tried everything to pass either second and third-placed Travis McGowan or Greg Hancock in the climax of the competition.

Pedersen, who had chosen gate one after winning the toss for starting positions, had already been left at the gate in the Dorset club's first race in front of a 4,000 crowd at King's Lynn.

The engine on his number one machine blew up as the tapes rose in heat three leaving virus-affected Jason Crump to work hard to split Hancock and Mc-Gowan as Reading recorded a 6-3.

That mishap quickly put Poole on the back foot. But Crump isn't the world champion for nothing.

And his inspirational leadership in the pits, combined with team manager Neil Middleditch's wily input, pumped up Pedersen, who rode his not-quite-so-good number two bike from then on.

Pirates recovered to squeeze into the semis, courtesy, ironically, of Reading, who held Coventry to a vital 5-4 defeat in race 17.

Coventry and Poole finished level on 21 points in their group, but Pedersen and Crump went through because they had won their tussle with the Bees 6-3.

The Pirates pair combined for a 6-3 triumph over Peterborough in the semi-final, with Hans Andersen losing for the first time on the night.

Then, while Crump expertly slowed the race from the front, Pedersen dived inside McGowan into third on the straight at the end of the third lap to seal Poole's 6-3 victory in the final much to the glee of the 200 travelling Pirates fans on the first turn terracing.

It meant Pedersen, who has served Pirates with distinction since 2002, has completed a clean sweep of top-flight honours with the club.

He added the Best Pairs' crown to the Elite League title, Elite League Knockout Cup, British League Cup, Craven Shield and Elite League Riders' Championship.

That's six pieces of different silverware while wearing a skull and crossbones race jacket, possibly a club record, and nine in total. There wasn't much passing at King's Lynn, mainly because of the quality of riders on view. So Pedersen's trophy winning move was even more impressive.

Looking back on the final, Crump said: "We won the toss for gate position and I said to Bjarne take what gate you want'.

"He wanted gate one. I was a bit surprised and if he had the choice again I'm pretty sure he would probably take two or four.

"But he rode a terrific race. Travis and Greg were trying to keep him out but he found a gap somewhere and got through.

"I only realised as I went over the line at the end that he had got it, and it feels great because we worked hard for this."

Crump, who had lifted the title at Swindon alongside his former Belle Vue team-mate Simon Stead last year, added: "Person-ally I needed to win tonight. I needed to get into a big meeting like this, blow the cobwebs out and kind of go okay again.

"I'm probably not 100 per cent well because of the virus I've had, but I think I rode well later on in the meeting when I had got everything working.

"It is a big boost for me for us to come here and win, and it is good for everyone connected with the club."

"I hope it is the first of many trophies for Poole this year."