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EASTBOURNE EAGLES 55 – LAKESIDE HAMMERS 41 / FULL REPORT |
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Mon 20 Apr 2009
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THANKS TO EASTBOURNE EAGLES WEBSITE |
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CAMERON HAS HEAT 15 WITH DAVEY 5-1
Eastbourne Eagles further silenced the pre-season critics with another dominant display to make it five home wins out of five in 2009 at Arlington stadium on Saturday evening. Partic ular pleasing would this performance undoubtedly have proved to all involved with the Sussex side however as it came at the expense of near rivals, the Lakeside Hammers, the team who recently ended their interest in this seasons Knockout Cup competition, the 55-41 victory not only proving Eagles biggest win but also the Elite League pacesetting Hammers heaviest defeat of the campaign so far.
Once again it was to prove a superb all round display by the Eagles, Cameron Woodward and Ricky Kling particularly catching the eye each turning in their most prolific returns so far, while Lukas Dryml continued to endear himself to the Arlington faithful, his heat seven shepherding of Kling home for a 5-1 to put Eastbourne 10-points (26-16) to the good proving a highlight of another fine showing from the Czech Republican.
With Davey Watt and Simon Gustafsson again returning double figures and David Norris most capable in recording paid 9-points for once the Sussex side didn’t have to be reliant on the scoring prowess of Lewis Bridger who suffered problems, a fall brought on by a broken clutch cable in his first ride on his way to an uncharacteristic 6-points, this surely emphasising the versatility and all round pot ential possessed by this Eastbourne side.
For the Hammers, former Eagles Captain Lee Richardson proved the pick of the bunch, riding unbeaten in his first four outings before an engine failure beset him in his final ride as he trailed Watt and Woodward in heat fifteen, the home duo on course to the 5-1 that wrapped up the match in perfect style.
Equally, another former Eagle, Adam Shields began well, the Aussie recording a mid meeting 6-pointer (as did Richardson) as a tactical ride that served to keep the Hammers in sight of their opponents at critical points of the meeting.
However, operating Rider Replacement for the injured Joonas Kylmakorpi, the remainder of the Lakeside team seemed to lack any answer to their hosts, the one exception to this being a Jonas Davidsson inspired 4-2 in the penultimate race, one that offered the visitors a slim chance of a point from the clash if Richardson and Shields were able to bag a maximum in the final heat.
Indeed it was the Eagles who hit the ground running, Norris taking top honours in the first, leading home Shields with Watt chasing in third place for an opening 4-2.
Gustafsson and Kling hammered home the advantage in the next, a commanding all the way 5-1 extending the home lead to 6-points, 9-3.
Woodward scorched to victory in the third to maintain the half dozen margin, Bridger suffering the fall that ensured Davidsson and Chris Mills would ride home unchallenged before Richardson finally stopped the rot in a restarted heat four, providing Hammers first heat winner ahead of both Gustafsson and Dryml.
A further brace of shared races followed, Woodward and Bridger following home Shields in the fifth while Richardson secured his second victory in heat six, this coming at the expense of Watt and Norris as the visitors made it three race wins in three.
Ho wever, Kling and Dryml’s team riding exploits kick started the Eagles assault once more, the resultant 5-1 ahead of Davidsson and Stuart Robson stretching the home lead to double figures, the scores now standing at 26-16.
A win for Gustafsson inspired a further 4-2 in the next, Norris chasing down Nieminen but the 12-point disparity that now existed opened up the possibility of tactical changes for Lakeside.
Richardson duly obliged in the ninth, the points for his win successive win being doubled to six, Bridger and Woodward following their former team mate to the chequered flag, however the 6-3 they gained was immediately wiped away as both Watt and Norris blazed past the fast starting Kauko Nieminen out of turn two of heat 10 and romped to Eagles third 5-1, one that set the scores at 38-25 in their favour.
Shields then provided Lakeside’s second 6-points as team manager Jon Cook nominated his Captain to take the tactical ride. Shields headed home Dryml but with Nieminen getting the better of Kling, this move was to serve them slightly better, the 7-2 reducing the difference to 8-points, 40-32.
However, just as the visiting supporters might have been thinking that their side were on the comeback trail, Bridger and Gustafsson combined for another runaway Eagles 5-1 ahead of Chris Mills and Davidsson in the twelfth to put the match virtually beyond the Hammers reach.
Richardson continued his unbeaten run in race thirteen, getting the better of Watt and Dryml but with Shields failing to fire, the nights sixth 3-3 saw Eastbourne almost home and dry, the margin still standing at 12-points, 48-36 with two races left to run.
Davidsson’s win in the fourteenth offered the visitors a lifeline, particularly after another fine Gustafsson performance, most unfortunately, was destined to end with a fall as he chased his fellow Swede hard, however there was only ever going to be the one team taking points from the clash. Watt and Woodward’s fina l heat 5-1 proved more than sufficient to seal an ultimately satisfying 55-41 home win, one that saw the Eagles leap frog the Hammers and into second place behind the Coventry Bees in the Elite League table. |
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