NEWPORT Wasps could not complain as they suffered a five-point defeat at home to Elite League club Poole in their British League Cup yesterday.

Wasps led by two points after six heats, but Pirates, using rider replacement for Lukas Dryml, just had the edge.

The Czech Republic rider was in Sweden on Saturday for the GP meeting, finishing second, and is now joint top in the standings with clubmate Tony Rickardsson.

Pirates, with Dryml riding in Poland yesterday, were given special dispensation by the British Speedway Promoters' Association to use rider replacement. And they were able to use any one of their six riders.

Bjarne Pedersen, also at the GP meeting in Sweden, and top-scoring Davey Watt picked up more than half Pirates' points.

Wasps led by two points after six heats but Pirates slowly turned the screw to maintain their unbeaten run in the qualifying group - three wins - and it was disappointing for Wasps to fall in front of a good-sized sun-drenched crowd.

Frank Smart scored consistently, but skipper Craig Watson and Niels Kristian Iversen were not at their best.

Iversen failed to pick up a point in his first ride but immediately bounced back with a win in heat five, Wasps gaining a maximum, followed home by Tony Atkin.

In fact, it was the only full points heat win for Wasps, and the fact that Pirates only gained one maximum as well indicates the closeness of the meeting.

But after the joy of a maximum, Iversen suffered exclusion when he fell heavily on the third bend of the first lap in heat nine.

However, he was able to walk back to the pits, the fall not as serious as it looked.

Watson had just one heat win in six rides, and in heat 13 gained half a point when involved in a dead heat with Pedersen for third place behind winner Smart and Pirates captain Craig Boyce.

Smart was the only Wasps rider to get into double figures, and in his five rides was never out of the top two. He could have done with a little more support. Had that been the case Wasps could have earned a share of the points.

In heat six, Pirates reserve Cameron Woodward looked to have nudged Smart, and the Wasps heat leader came from the back to second, but edging ahead of Pedersen was out of the question.

And also in consistent form was Tony Atkin, who finished with eight points from four rides and ended with a paid nine.

There was a blow in heat eight when Carl Wilkinson and Chris Schramm both lifted at the gate, handing the initiative to the Pirates' pairing of Danny Warwick - who rides for Newport Mavericks - and six-point reserve Tony Primmer. A maximum defeat was a bitter pill for Wasps to swallow, enabling Pirates to take a four-point lead.

Coupled with the power of Watt, Pedersen and Boyce, it was all a little too much for the Wasps.

But they are still very much in the running to qualify for the next stage of the tournament.

*Tony Rickardsson has been joined by Poole colleague Lukas Dryml at the top of the Grand Prix leaderboard after the second round in Sweden.

Dryml finished runner-up to Ryan Sullivan in Avesta, with Leigh Adams - also of Poole - third and Greg Hancock fourth.

Rickardsson was knocked out at the semi-final stage but still collected a handy 13-point total and now stands on 38 with seven rounds remaining.