Holder aims to take advantage of Crump absence (From Thisisdorset)

Holder aims to take advantage of Crump absence

7:00am Wednesday 23rd July 2008 in

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PIRATES spearhead Chris Holder has pledged to take advantage of Belle Vue's double injury misfortune.

Aces star Jason Crump was yesterday ruled out of tonight's Elite League clash at Wimborne Road (7.30pm) after breaking the little finger on his left hand in Saturday's rain-soaked World Cup final at Vojens.

And with predicted guest rider Chris Harris also sidelined after a nasty spill for Coventry in their 51-42 home defeat to Lakeside on Monday night, the Manchester side have called up Hammers man Adam Shields as a guest in place of Crump.

Aussie Holder will again lead Poole Castle Cover's charge tonight as the Dorset side aim to maintain their stranglehold at the top of the Elite League standings.

The former Isle of Wight star, who notched a lacklustre four points at Vojens on Saturday, told the Echo: "I'm looking forward to getting back on track at Poole because we haven't ridden there for a few weeks because of the weather and the World Cup.

"It should be good and having Crumpie out is a really big thing for us and gives us a good chance to score a few points and hopefully win the meeting.

"Missing Crump is a major blow for them and, I hate to say it, but Chris Harris being out too is good news for Poole.

"It's good for Poole with them having their best rider out, but you never really want someone to be injured, especially another Aussie."

Looking back on Saturday's final, where Australia trailed in last following Crump's early injury, Holder admitted he had some sympathy with the race organisers, but echoed fellow Castle Cover Pirates star Davey Watt's view that the Vojens track was verging on dangerous.

Holder said: "I'm still cleaning all the dirt off everything - it's just everywhere.

"It was pretty bad, but it's the World Cup so they were never going to call it off. It's a lot of organisation so it's hard to call it off.

"The conditions were so hard and the competition was really tough. Dave Watt had never ridden there before and we didn't get a practice. It was just one of those meetings where everything we tried didn't work."

Poole are at full strength with Bjarne Pedersen, Watt and Holder all coming through the hectic World Cup schedule unscathed.

Pirates: 1 Chris Holder, 2 Magnus Zetterstrom, 3 Davey Watt, 4 Adam Skornicki, 5 Bjarne Pedersen, 6 Freddie Eriksson, 7 Daniel Davidsson.

Belle Vue: 1 Adam Shields (guest), 2 Rider replacement for Lukasz Jankowski, 3 Charlie Gjedde, 4 Billy Forsberg, 5 Joe Screen, 6 Nick Simmons, 7 Patrick Hougaard.