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COVENTRY BEES 55 - EASTBOURNE EAGLES 38 |
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Fri 22 May 2009
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Thanks to Eastbourne Eagles |
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ELITE LEAGUE A MATCH : FRIDAY 22nd MAY 2009
Full match report.
Despite some spirited moments, the Eastbourne Eagles suffered their second comprehensive defeat in the space of two days as they found themselves unable to withstand the challenge of a very powerful Coventry Bees line up, the Sussex side eventually giving second best by a resounding 55-38 margin at Brandon Stadium on Friday evening.
The Bees hit the injury plagued Eagles hard from the word go, slamming in two successive 5-1’s in heats one and two to assert their authority and from that moment on, the visitors were always going to be playing catch up and although they had their moments to shine, 5-1’s in heats 4 and 13 and a 4-2 as Cameron Woodward ended former Eagle Edward Kennett’s maximum hopes in the penultimate race proving their high points.
In each instance however, after each Eastbourne success, the Bees were poised to hit harder and stronger as they strengthened their grip on a match that they never seemed likely to lose.
As the tapes arose on heat one, momentarily the signs seemed favourable as the fast starting Lukas Dryml nipped into an early lead and with Davey Watt tucking into third place it appeared that the Eagles might make it a winning opening. Two bends later and it was all change however, newly crowned British Champion, Chris ‘Bomber’ Harris living up to his name, diving through on the Czech Republican’s inside down the back straight. He was soon joined at the front by Bees reserve Filip Sitera who sped past Dryml on the run in to lap two, thus compounding the delight of the home supporters while securing for them an opening 5-1 into the bargain.
Four laps later and the Coventry lead was doubled to 8-points, Sitera making his first race experience count as he scorched to a win and with fellow tail ender exercising a robust pass of Chris Schramm entering the third circuit for a second maximum advantage already the Eagles light was beginning to look somewhat gloomy.
Lewis Bridger and Cameron Woodward seemed intent on arresting the slide in a restarted third race but former Eagle Edward Kennett was equally determined that this shouldn’t happen as he roared past the Aussie and then cut inside British under-21 champion Bridger in quick succession to register the home teams third race win. The advantage eluded them however, Ricky Wells taking a tumble on the second turn of lap two and despite remounting he could make little impact on the race thereafter, the resultant 3-3 seeing the scores moving to 13-5 in favour of the Bees.
The home contingent were clearly sensing victory on a grand scale given the resounding opening their riders had delivered, however the volume was turned down a notch following the next, Schramm making a fine gate to lead all the way, this effort being supplemented to the max as Dryml executed a clinical inside pass to cut off Rory Schlein’s run, this rubber stamping a 5-1 for the visitors, this reducing the margin back to 4-points (14-10) once more.
The m oment proved most welcome but it wasn’t destined to last however, Kennett and Wells combining for a quick reply 5-1 for the Bees ahead of early race leader Kling but the more worrying factor for the travelling fans was the sight of Eagles skipper pulling up and out of the race when well at the back, a clear indication that his injury worries weren’t yet a thing of the past.
Harris was a comfortable winner of race six, but Coventry’s pursuit of a further 5-1 was thwarted as Dryml fought his way back into second place having been passed by Auty in the mid part of the race. Nevertheless, their hopes of any reward from the clash were looking ever more precarious, the difference between the sides now reaching double figures, 23-13.
Without further ado, Bridger was nominated to ride for double points in heat seven, but although this tactic initially looked set to bear fruit, the Eagle storming into an early lead, with Schlein and then Auty beating a path past him to record Bees fourth 5-1 of the seven races so far run, the visitors weren’t destined to make any inroads into the home lead, indeed the reverse being true, the margin extending to 14-points, Coventry standing at double the Eagles tally on 28-points.
A brace of wins for new hero Kennett, in most impressive style, kept the home pot bubbling, the first coming at the expense of Woodward in heat eight, the Eagles at least managing to snatch a share of the points, Schramm’s third place ahead of Sitera preventing the Bees from extending their lead.
That is exactly what they did in the next however but in order to do so Kennett had to get the better of Dryml in a race long duel, the Czech Republican taking an early lead only to trade places a couple of times with the former Eagle. With Wells wrapping up third place at the expense of Kling, a further Coventry 4-2 stretched their advantage further to 16-points (35-19) and ever closer to the winning post.
The hosts further asserted their authority with another 4-2 in the tenth, Harris romping to his third successive win having forged a way past Bridger in the early part. However, it wasn’t Harris but more the welfare of Bridger who the travelling supporters were concerned with after the young Eagle suffered a freak fall having got out of shape and tangled somehow with the air barrier.
Bridger was flipped off his machine and although he wasn’t travelling at speed at the point of impact it proved something of a heavy fall, one that saw him sustain further cuts which prompted his early withdrawal from the meeting.
Though their fortunes weren’t faring so well, the Eagles weren’t about to throw in the towel just yet and Watt appeared rejuvenated as he answered the call to ride for double points, leading Schlein and Auty throughout the four laps to register the visitors second heat advantage, a 6-3 that narrowed the score line to 15-points, 42-27.
Their third moment to cheer followed swiftly on as Kling and Schramm (taking the place of Bridger) turned the tables and gained revenge on Sitera for their second race mauling, the 5-1 ahead of the Czech Republican along with American Wells to reduce the margin still further to 9-points, 43-32.
Any thoughts of an unlikely comeback were quickly rebuffed however, Schlein, along with Harris getting the better of Watt and Dryml for the 5-1, Coventry’s fifth of the meeting, that finally wrapped up the match, the 48-33 progressive score putting the Bee’s out of the Eagles reach.
Pride still had a part to play however and Woodward’s defeat of Kennett was well received by the Sussex fans as well as drawing rich applause from the home supporters. Schramm made it a winning outing for the Eagles as he got the better of Auty to wrest the 4-2 however the final word was soon to belong to the Bees.
Harris and Schlein signed off in style, the home side ending proceedings just as they had begun them with a 5-1 that realised the 17-point spread between the teams. Woodward found himself unable to provide a repeat of his form of the previous race and proved no match for the home duo while Watt ended the evening on a low note pulling out of the race with engine problems.
With the Peterborough Panthers awaiting Eastbourne as they return home to Arlington to complete a punishing schedule of three matches in three days, the Eagles would in normal circumstances be hoping for a turnaround in fortunes however given the depleted nature of their team with David Norris and Simon Gustafsson already sidelined, with Watt apparently still short of full fitness and now fresh concerns over Bridger following his fall, the remainder of the Sussex side will be forced to dig ever deeper if they are to see off the challenge of the in form Panthers.
Scorers :
Bees : Chris Harris 14+1(5), Edward Kennett 14(5), Rory Schlein 11+1(5), Josh Auty 6+3(5), Filip Sitera 6+1(5), Ricky Wells 3+1(4),Rider Replacement for Olly Allen. – 55
Eagles : Cameron Woodward 10+1(6), Chris Schramm 8+2(7), Lukas Dryml 7+1(5), Davey Watt 7(4), Ricky Kling 4(4), Lewis Bridger 2(3), Rider Replacement for David Norris. – 38 |
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