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PETERBOROUGH PANTHERS 48 - EASTBOURNE EAGLES 42 |
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Thu 2 Jul 2009
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| Posted by
Jenni thanks to Eastbourne website |
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11pts to Cameron.
In a full blooded encounter, Sussex speedway squad Eastbourne Eagles secured a hard fought Elite League point from their visit to Peterborough’s East of England Showground as they eventually succumbed to a 48-42 defeat against the local Panthers on Thursday evening.
Czech Republican Lukas Dryml proved the star of the Eastbourne show with a superbly taken 15-point haul on return to the circuit that he graced for four seasons and he received solid support from the Eagles top end, skipper Davey Watt hitting form with three wins in his 10-point tally while Cameron Woodward and Lewis Bridger also had their moments to shine.
Indeed the visiting heat leaders seemed to contain the threat of their opposite numbers with little difficulty, Messrs Bridger, Watt and Dryml’s collective 32-points playing the 20-point equivalent totalled by home Captain Niels K. Iversen along with fellow Danes Kenneth Bjerre and Mads Korneliussen, however this particular battle was won and lost in the reserve berth.
The difference between the sides, and unfortunately for Eagles it was to prove a big difference was the towering 15-point (paid 19) performance from home number seven Claus Vissing. Vissing featured in no fewer than seven rides, three of them resulting in maximum 5-1’s to the Panthers along with a tenth race 4-2 and one need look no further than his input to see how the they achieved their ultimate six-point success. On only two occasions did he follow an Eastbourne rider to the chequered flag Woodward getting the better of him in heat eight while Watt also had his number in the penultimate race as the Eagles, though beaten in the match beyond that point, fought to claim some deserved reward from their nights work.
Indeed the match began at a blistering pace, the two teams exchanging 5-1’s in each of the first five races, the Sussex side slightly fortune in claiming the first of these as Iversen’s machine ground to a halt on the final lap allowing Woodward to blast through and join his partner in claiming first blood.
The lead was short lived however, Vissing embarking on his match winning display with second place behind Henning Bager, the pair leading home Eagles reserve duo Ricky Kling and Simon Gustafsson.
The momentum was quickly back with the Sussex side however, Woodward playing a role in his second maximum in the first three heats so far contested. This time he was to share the honour with Watt, the pair racing to a confident 5-1 ahead of Korneliussen and Kenneth Hansen to set the scores at 11-7 in favour of the visitors.
It was level pegging once again following the next, Bjerre taking the honours with Vissing following in hot pursuit, Dryml giving fruitless chase in what was to prove his one below par outing of the night.
Indeed heat five also produced a 5-1 but the sequence was effectively broken as Korneliussen leapt from the start to help ease the disappointment of his previous outing. With a 3-3 looking the likely outcome for much of the race, it was Hansen who had the Panthers supporters on their feet, taking first Woodward then producing a blistering turn of pace to overcome Bridger down the back straight at the final time of asking. This supreme effort saw the hosts lead for the first time on the night, the 5-1 opening up a 4-point lead, the scores moving to 17-13.
That was how the margin remained over the next two races, Dryml posting a gate to flag effort to head home Iversen in the first of these and then Watt won out in a tantalising wheel to wheel duel with Bjerre to take the win, the resultant 3-3’s seeing the difference remain at 4-points, 23-19 on conclusion of heat seven.
This was halved in the next, Woodward providing Eagles third successive heat win in impressive style, one that also heralded Vissing’s first defeat of the night. Gustafsson also got in on the act, a fine pass of Bager o n the back straight of lap three rewarding the visitors with a 4-2, one that narrowed the scores to 25-23.
Dryml claimed his second win, defying the challenge of Hansen in heat 9 though Eagles hopes of erasing the deficit were dashed as Kling, despite considerable efforts was unable to get on terms with third placed Korneliussen.
Peterborough’s 4-point lead was restored in a somewhat untidy tenth race. Hopes were high for the visitors as Dryml and Watt, each with two wins to their credit stepped onto the shale. However an untidy first turn saw Watt quickly pull up and out of proceedings and Iversen left well adrift of the lead two. Many expected the race to be halted and a rerun ordered but this failed to materialise, the melee leaving Vissing and Dryml to fight the good fight at the front, another close fought battle but one that went the way of the home rider, Iversen following in third for the 4-2.
Vissing remained in the winning groove as he romped home ahead of Bridger and Woodward as Bager’s replacement in the next. Eyebrows were raised as Bjerre surprisingly ran a last, the 3-3 keeping the scores close, the difference, now 35-31 still at 4-points.
Panthers struck the blow that undoubtedly spurred them to victory in race twelve. Korneliussen claimed his second 3-pointer, Vissing, contesting his third outing in as many races, following on ahead of Watt to complete the 5-1 picture, one that doubled the home lead to 8-points, 40-32 and with just three races remaining, time appeared in short supply for the visitors.
A rerun heat 13, one that saw Iversen disappear under the fourth turn air barrier having suffered a fall (thankfully soon to emerge uninjured) eventually saw Dryml get back to his winning ways, his second taming of Bjerre anchoring the Eastbourne 4-2 with Bridger following in third, six-points, 42-36 now the difference, Eagles still in with a chance of claiming some rewards for their efforts.
Indeed their chances seemed set to be greatly enhanced in the penultimate race as Watt hit the front, Gustafsson in pursuit, the 5-1 looking a promising outcome and one that would have taken the match to a last heat decider.
However Hansen, and predictably Vissing were eventually to get the better of Eagles young Swede, the 3-3 being sufficient to see the Panthers past the winning post, the score standing at 45-39 but with 6-points still the difference, Eastbourne remained in contention for a valuable away point.
Indeed so it came to pass, Dryml wrapping up a superb display with another full throttle victory, one that clearly irked Bjerre with words being exchanged between the pair at the race end. Iversen received some comfort following an out of sorts evening by his standards, victory over the chasing Bridger for the odd point setting down a marker for the forthcoming Speedway World Cup tournament.
Scorers :
Panthers : Claus Vissing 15+4(7), Kenneth Bjerre 9(5), Kenneth Hansen 8+1(5), Mads Korneliussen 7+1(4), Henning Bager 5+2(4), Niels K. Iversen 4+1(5), Rider Replacement for Ales Dryml. – 48
Eagles : Lukas Dryml 15(6), Davey Watt 10(5), Cameron Woodward 8+3(5), Lewis Bridger 7(5), Ricky Kling 1(4), Simon Gustafsson 1(5), Rider Replacement for David Norris. – 42 |
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