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EASTBOURNE EAGLES 49 V COVENTRY BEES 41 |
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Sat 6 Jun 2009
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| Posted by
Jenni Thanks to Eagles website. |
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ELITE LEAGUE A MATCH : Eastbourne Eagles:
Lukas Dryml 14+2 (6), Simon Gustafsson 11, Lewis Bridge 9, Cameron Woodward 7+4 (6), Davey Watt 6, Ricky Kling 2+1 (4).
Coventry Bees:
Chris Harris 11 (5), Adam Shields 11 (6), Edward Kennett 7+2 (4), Scott Nicholls 7+1 (4), Robert Ksiezak 3 (6), Josh Auty 2+1(5).
Czech rider Lukas Dryml was the Eastbourne hero in Eastbourne Eagles’ thrilling win over Coventry at Arlington on Saturday night.
The home side’s strength in depth overcame the top heavy visitors on a night of drama.
The meeting came to a thrilling conclusion as the home side secured all three Elite League points in a pulsating heat 15.
Dryml scored 14 points (paid 16) from his six rides. He won the vital heats 13 and 15 against the Midland club’s big guns and ensured the Eagles stay in touch for the end-of-season play-offs.
The other star for the home team was Simon Gustaffson, who returned to action after six weeks out with a shoulder injury. He showed no ill effects, taking three wins in his 11 point haul.
The meeting was set against a background of acrimony between the two clubs over the transfer during the winter of Edward Kennett to Coventry. The £29,000 fee had to be decided by a tribunal.
In recent weeks Coventry have introduced Scott Nicholls to their team to replace the injured Olly Allen – effectively giving them four heat leaders.
This has sparked anger in many parts of the speedway world and last week Nicholls’ use in a televised match against Ipswich was declared ‘illegal’.
There were three former Eastbourne riders in the Coventry team –Nicholls, Kennett and Adam Shields.
Shields was standing in for Rory Schlein, who was riding in a Grand Prix qualifier in Italy, while Kennett was making his first visit to Arlington since his controversial move.
Both Nicholls and Kennett were loudly booed by a large section of the fans when they were introduced to the crowd.
When the racing began Davey Watt and Lukas Dryml gave Eastbourne the best possible start with a 5-1 win in heat one.
They made the start and led Scott Nicholls home. Nicholls buzzed around Dryml’s back wheel in the first two laps before the home rider eased away.
Gustafsson showed no ill effects from his injury lay-off as he went round the outside in heat two to take the lead. With Ricky Kling third, the Eagles had established a 9-3 lead after two races.
Coventry hit back with a 5-1 in the third heat. Kennett and Shields showed the home duo a clean pair of heels from the start with Lewis Bridger falling on last lap while trying to get on terms.
The teams continued to trade heat advantages like two heavyweight boxers fighting toe-to-toe.
In heat four Gustafsson and Dryml left British champion Chris Harris trailing in their wake.
The home team’s lead remained six points after heat five ended all square with Nicholls completing a tapes-to-flag win.
Harris resisted early pressure from Watt to win heat six but his partner Robert Ksiezak was last to leave the score at 21-15.
Shields and Kennett fired in another 5-1 in to close the scores to 22-20 after seven races.
Shields easily completed his third successive win in the next race and in the process took Gustafsson’s unbeaten record.
Coventry took their fifth chequered flag in a row when Harris won heat nine but the end result was a 3-3 to leave the score at 28-26 at the interval.
Bridger became the first rider to lower Shields’ colours when he passed him on the opening lap of heat 10. At the back Kennett played ducks and drakes for three laps before Watt sewed up the third placed point.
Dryml took heat 11 with a victory from the gate over Nicholls but Kling surprisingly surrendered third place to Josh Auty who scored his first point of the night.
In heat 12 Gustafsson was excluded after falling on the first bend. In the re-run Kennett from gate four dived inside Bridger on the first two turns and then went wide into the dirt to take victory.
The resulting 4-2 win for Coventry narrowed the lead to just two points with three races remaining.
Dryml took a vital win in heat 13 by making the start against Nicholls and Harris and holding the line all the way to the flag.
Heat 14 boiled over on the second lap when Shields fell and was excluded when trying to pass Cameron Woodward. The two had passed and re-passed each other in the early stages of the race while Gustafsson was out front.
In the re-run Gustafsson and Woodward wrapped up victory for the Eagles with a comfortable 5-1 over Auty. That secured the Eagles two league points leaving the only question to be decided in the final race was the destination of the third league point on offer.
Dryml made the start and hung on for a 5-1 as Harris did everything he knew to try and pass. Woodward, who showed early on in second place, was swallowed up into a huge battle to hang on to third place. At the line you could have thrown the proverbial blanket over Harris, Woodward and Shields but the Eastbourne man was third and that secured all three league points for the Eagles.
The Eastbourne fans were delighted that their team had overcome the Coventry heavyweights – a match many thought would see the points heading in the opposite direction.
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