DOMINANT Pirates went some way to avenging last year’s play-off agony by thumping Coventry Bees in an action-packed Elite League clash tonight.

An exceptional all-round performance from the title favourites saw them control the contest in eye-catching fashion, scoring heavily throughout the team in front of the Sky Sports cameras.

However, it was not all positive for the hosts as Christian Hefenbrock was knocked unconscious after hitting the air fence hard in an ugly heat-two spill.

The meeting was delayed for half an hour while the Pirates star was treated on track before being taken by ambulance for X-rays at Poole Hospital.

Hefenbrock was thrown from his bike and had to be taken for a precautionary check-up, but team boss Neil Middleditch told the Echo the Poole reserve was tonight set to return home after being assessed.

After Hefenbrock had been taken to hospital, Pirates secured a handsome success, with the result standing despite the meeting being abandoned after 14 heats when a further spill caused damage to the fence.

The win was particularly sweet for the hosts, given the history between the two clubs.

Pirates finished as runaway leaders in 2010 but saw the crown slip away when Coventry stunned them in the two-legged final with a 101-79 victory.

But it was a different story on this occasion as the reigning champions were comfortably defeated.

While Bees kept things relatively close at 22-14 after six heats, four consecutive maximums ensured they would have no chance of claiming points.

Pirates made a fine start against their depleted opponents, who were without injured stars Hans Andersen and Przemyslaw Pawlicki.

Poole talisman Chris Holder left his rivals trailing and Renat Gafurov secured the maximum, with Scott Nicholls, in as a guest for Andersen, in third place.

Things took a worrying turn when Hefenbrock suffered his nasty fall. Following a lengthy delay, Poole continued their excellent opening thanks to Dennis Andersson.

The eventful start to proceedings continued when Ryan Fisher was excluded after an incident that saw Jason Doyle take a third-heat tumble.

With Fisher out of the re-run, Doyle and Darcy Ward produced a text-book team ride.

Captain Edward Kennett hit back with Bees’ first wins of the evening – either side of a dominant win from exciting Ward.

Pirates extended to 12 their advantage after another lively heat that saw Richard Sweetman fall and Fisher almost follow him after clipping the fence and wobbling on his back wheel. Out in front, Watt and Andersson sealed the maximum.

Gafurov and Andersson made it consecutive 5-1s for Pirates, forcing Bees to play the tactical rider card with Kennett in heat nine. But the move failed to pay dividends and Poole opened up an even more commanding lead as great entertainer Ward followed Doyle home for another maximum.

Pirates were now in total control and made it four in a row courtesy of Holder and Gafurov.

Bees claimed five points in heat 11 after Watt denied Nicholls a double-points win, before Ward, Holder and Andersson rounded off the stylish win, securing further Pirates successes before the meeting was cut short.

HEAT DETAILS

Pirates 55: 1 Chris Holder (3-1*-3-3) 10+1, 2 Renat Gafurov (2*-2-3-2*) 9+2, 3 Darcy Ward (2*-3-2*-3) 10+2, 4 Jason Doyle (3-0-3-1) 7, 5 Davey Watt (1*-3-3-0) 7+1, 6 Dennis Andersson (3-2-2*-2*-0-0-3) 12+2, 7 Christian Hefenbrock (0) 0.

Team Manager: Neil Middleditch.

Bees 31: 1 Scott Nicholls (1-1-4^-1*) 7+1, 2 Kenni Larsen (0-1-2-0-1*) 4+1, 3 Ryan Fisher (0-1-0-1*-2) 4+1, 4 Rider replacement for Przemyslaw Pawlicki, 5 Edward Kennett (3-3-0-1-2) 9, 6 Josh Auty (2-0-1-1-2-0) 6, 7 Richard Sweetman (1*-0-0) 1+1. Team Manager: Alun Rossiter.

Referee: Dave Robinson.

League points: Pirates 3 Coventry 0

Ht 1: Holder, Gafurov, Nicholls, Larsen (fell), 58.70 (5-1)

Ht 2: (Re-run) Andersson, Auty, Sweetman, Hefenbrock (fell excluded), 58.80 (8-4)

Ht 3: (Re-run) Doyle, Ward, Larsen, Fisher (excluded), 59.4, (13-5)

Ht 4: Kennett, Andersson, Watt, Sweetman, 58.9 (16-8)

Ht 5: Ward, Larsen, Nicholls, Doyle, 58.1 (19-11)

Ht 6: Kennett, Gafurov, Holder, Auty, 58.9 (22-14)

Ht 7: Watt, Andersson, Fisher, Sweetman (fell), 59.7 (27-15)

Ht 8: Gafurov, Andersson, Auty, Larsen, 59.5 (32-16)

Ht 9: Doyle, Ward, Auty, Kennett (tactical rider), 59.8 (37-17)

Ht 10: Holder, Gafurov, Kennett, Fisher, 58.9 (42-18)

Ht 11: Watt, Nicholls (tactical rider, double points), Larsen, Andersson, 60.1 (45-23)

Ht 12: Ward, Auty, Fisher, Andersson, 60.0 (48-26)

Ht 13: Holder, Kennett, Nicholls, Watt, 59.60 (51-29)

Ht 14: (Awarded) Andersson, Fisher, Doyle, Auty (55-31)

• Meeting abandoned after 14 heats due to a damaged fence.

• Daily Echo star rider: Darcy Ward.