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Last Updated: Nov 28th, 2010 - 10:22:29 |
It is often said that good things come to those who wait! Well on Bank Holiday Monday evening that anecdote inevitably showcased a day in the life of the Eastbourne ‘Lifestyle’ Eagles. A truly phenomenal performance from the Sussex speedway squad saw them capture their first travelling victory of an often arduous 2010 season, and they did it with a certain sense of style by eclipsing Elite League Play Off probable’s, the Peterborough Panthers around their own circuit, the Eagles winning a tantalising fifteen heat contest by a 4-point, 47-43 margin and condemn their hosts to a first home defeat of the campaign.
Indeed it proved to be a rare win at the East of England Showground, nevertheless a wholly welcome and celebrated one by the jubilant Sussex club and their supporters and it was made all the more impressive as it was achieved without number one Matej Zagar, for whom the Rider Replacement facility gleaned just 5-points while former Panther Lukas Dryml suffered two engine failures on his former home circuit.
Joonas Kylmakorpi and Simon Gustafsson proved the undoubted stars of a fantastic night for the Eagles but in truth there was no lack of effort throughout the order, each man playing his part to the full.
It maybe looked to be business as usual for the home side as the Panthers swiftly established an early 4-point (8-4) lead following back to back 4-2’s in the opening two races, home hero Kenneth Bjerre jetting away to see off the challenge of Polish Eagle Tomasz Jedrzejak whilst Krzysztof Buczkowski followed on ahead of chasing skipper Cameron Woodward.
Peterborough doubled their advantage as Mathieu Tresarrieu did likewise to fend off Simon Gustafsson, Norbert Kosciuch chasing the duo down to claim a gift third place after Lukas Dryml retired with machinery problems heading out of the start, however any thoughts that the powerful home septet were about to run away with things proved unfounded as Eastbourne clung doggedly to their opponents and refused to let them get out of sight.
Rory Schlein twice proved a faller, thankfully remaining unharmed, to ease their passage in the third, Panthers skipper Niels-Kristian Iversen making it three wins out of three for the home side following the exclusion of his partner however he had to withstand early pressure from Woodward in order to do so.
The advent of quite a phenomenal performance by Kylmakorpi was realised as the Flying Finn blazed from the tapes to eclipse Kosciuch but even better for the Eagles fans was Dryml’s third place ahead of the normally dependable Batchelor, the Czech Republican having been passed by but repassing the Australian for the first of three 4-2’s to the visitors over the course of the next six heats, a run that was to propel them, almost unbelievably into a 2-point lead at the home of the Play Off probable’s by the end of heat nine.
Kylmakorpi’s victory and resultant 4-2 saw the margin snipped in half, the scores standing at 13-11, a difference that remained in place following successive 3-3’s in each of the next three races.
Gustafsson proved an outstanding winner of heat five, taking Zagar’s Rider Replacement outing, Jedrzejak proving unfortunate not to get any change out of either Schlein or Iversen after taking up the early running to join his partner.
Kylmakorpi provided a repeat of his earlier pace to post a rare Showground defeat over Bjerre, Buczkowski racing unchallenged to third place for a second share of the spoils after Dryml’s machine had again failed him on the second lap.
Batchelor returned to his winning ways in the seventh race, however Kling and Woodward rode in close pursuit to keep their hosts well within range and that nominal gap, still standing at 2-points (22-20) was suddenly erased as Jedrzejak took charge of heat 8, the Pole winning in some style from Buczkowski while Gustafsson fought hard to snatch the 5-1. It was not to be unfortunately, however the Eagles were certainly proving more than a match for their illustrious hosts, who would surely have been expecting little difficulty, given Eastbourne’s past performance on previous visit’s to Alwalton, heading into the contest.
That 4-2 had been cause for celebration enough, merely to be level around the Showground, however the Eagles fans were in rapture following the next as Kylmakorpi again showed fleet of foot, and tyre track to deny Iversen, Gustafsson continuing an awesome Eastbourne performance with a wholly impressive third place ahead of Schlein.
The Panthers bared their teeth once more with successive 4-2’s in ten and eleven to ease ahead by 34-32 with four heats remaining. A pulsating heat ten saw Buczkowski, Woodward and Bjerre all jousting for position, a contest only just won by the Peterborough number two, this realising a second defeat of the night for the more usually unstoppable Dane.
Batchelor became the first to lower Kylmakorpi’s colours, this giving the home supporters some heart, especially with Tresarrieu taking third from Jedrzejak in the eleventh but the Eagles reserve duo of Gustafsson and Dryml brought them swiftly back down to earth as they scorched ahead of Schlein and Kosciuch to claimed the night’s first 5-1 to mirror the home team’s 2-point lead, the scoreline now standing at 37-35 to the visitors with just three races left on the card.
Peterborough looked set to post a similar response in heat thirteen but Kylmakorpi’s last ditch effort to catch Batchelor on the line, Bjerre ultimately taking the win, saw the sides now deadlocked at 39-points apiece but the belief that they could actually pull it off was now palpably emanating from the Sussex battlers.
Indeed that belief soared in the penultimate race, Gustafsson and Woodward jumping smartly from the start to lead all the way from home skipper Iversen for the 5-1 that launched the Eagles into a 4-point lead (44-40) to leave the writing firmly etched on Peterborough’s wall.
The Panthers requiring maximum points to salvage a draw, tense moments followed as Kylmakorpi and Gustafsson lined up alongside Bjerre and Batchelor, and that mood was heightened as all four were called back under orders, an unsatisfactory start being cited by match referee Chris Gay.
The mood then swiftly distorted to jubilation amongst the visiting supporters and misery for the home fans as Kylmakorpi hit the front once more, Gustafsson holding third place from Batchelor. Though Bjerre eventually forced his way through to the front of the field there was no further change in the order, that setting the seal on a night of triumph for the Eastbourne ‘Lifestyle’ Eagles, winners and deservedly so by a final 47-43 scoreline.
Scorers :
Panthers : Kenneth Bjerre 11+1(5), Krzysztof Buczkowski 8(4), Niels-Kristian Iversen 7+1(4), Troy Batchelor 7(5), Mathieu Tresarrieu 4(4), Rory Schlein 3(4), Norbert Kosciuch 3(4). – 43
Eagles : Joonas Kylmakorpi 15(6), Simon Gustafsson 14+1(7), Cameron Woodward 7+2(5), Tomasz Jedrzejak 5(5), Ricky Kling 3+1(3), Lukas Dryml 3+1(3), Rider Replacement for Matej Zagar. – 47
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