Sussex speedway squad Eastbourne Eagles secured their second travelling victory of the 2008 Elite League season by a 48-42 margin at Belle Vue’s Kirkmanshulme Lane stadium on Wednesday evening, but they were made to fight every step of the way by an under strength Aces side, one that had suffered injuries to no fewer than three riders in the run up to the meeting.

The Manchester side had seen Swede Billy Forsberg and hot English prospect Steve Boxall ruled out ahead of the clash and Pole Lukas Jankowski (already riding with a heavily strapped shoulder) was soon to join them on the sidelines after aggravating the condition in his first and only outing.

Nevertheless, the remainder of the Aces fought hard to remain in contention, Jason Crump and Charlie Geode heading up the offensive while Tee Proctor, taking all four rider replacement outings in Forsberg’s absence earned plaudits for a fighting 3-point return.

Even so, the Eagles proved to be good value for what was certainly a welcome and most worthy victory, Scott Nicholls in particular in peerless form with two tigers wins over Crump, and elsewhere, although skipper Lee Richardson again failed to shine, it was a solid, down the line performance from the remainder of their number.

Right from the word go it appeared that the Eagles were about to enjoy their evening, Nicholls and Lewis Bridger leaving the start as if jet propelled in heat one, leaving two time World Champion Crump trailing in their wake. Though the mighty Australian was set to get on terms with Bridger, driving through hard on his inside on the run in to the final lap, there was to be no catching the fast gating Nicholls, the resultant 4-2 starting Eagles off on a winning note.

Brent Werner, standing in for the injured James Bundle, then kept the momentum going with a tapes to flag victory over the hard chasing Michel Rajkowski in heat two. Simon Gustafsson was unfortunate to suffer a fall on turn three while in a scoring position, however with the veteran American clinging on to the lead throughout, this protected the slender visitors lead, one that now stood at 7-5.

Gjedde became the first home rider to take the chequered flag with a seemingly comfortable triumph over Lee Richardson and Cameron Woodward; however Aces fortunes continued to flounder as Lukas Jankowski, riding with a heavily strapped shoulder pulled up in mid race and thereafter out of the meeting.

The Eagles took a hefty stride towards what was already looking a probable victory as Edward Kennett and Werner rode one either side of former Eastbourne captain Joe Screen down the back straight of lap one to record a valuable 5-1, one that opened up a 6-point advantage, the scores now standing at 15-9.

Gjedde kept the home fires burning in the next however with a popular, so far as the locals were concerned of course, success over Eagles power house Nicholls. Nevertheless, with Bridger holding third place ahead of Rajkowski (replacing the injured Jankowski), the visitors lead was to remain at the half dozen mark (18-12) and this margin remained in place following heat six as Kennett and Gustafsson blocked the minor places behind Crump.

Screen found some of his undoubted form in the seventh as he became Aces third heat winner in succession. Indeed, this race was also to witness Belle Vue’s first race advantage of the night and although a somewhat fortunate one it seems somewhat churlish to make mention of that given the problems that the home side had suffered to that point.

Screen led throughout, Woodward chasing hard with Richardson a comfortable third ahead of Rajkowski, however just as the Australian Eagle challenge hard around bend three of the third lap, some impact appeared to be made, Woodward shuddering to a halt on the next bend. This in turn gifted Rajkowski the odd point and Aces the 4-2 but even though the Eagles replied with a similar scoreline in heat eight, this was the race that prompted a mini home revival.

Heat eight required three attempts to see it through to a conclusion; firstly Werner (as yet unheaded by an opponent) snagged the starting tapes, Gustafsson coming in to replace him. Then Ksiezak fell out of contention while holding second in the restart, necessitating a further running, and then following a further frustrated start as Bridger was warned to remain stationary at the tapes, the young Eagle came from the back to deny Proctor with Gustafsson riding home unchallenged to secure the 4-2.

Something of a disaster for Eagles in heat nine then saw Gjedde and Ksiezak snatch Aces first 5-1 of proceedings, Kennett missing the start completely and then Gjedde overcoming Gustafsson to secure the advantage that narrowed the difference to just 2-points, 28-26.

Suddenly it was level pegging as the Aces really started to turn up the heat on their Southern opponents. Crump comfortably containing Woodward while Proctor again raised the home voices as he outpaced former Grand Prix rider Richardson for the 4-2 that levelled the scores at 30-points apiece.

Eastbourne might have been starting to sweat at this point but Nicholls allayed their concerns slightly as he secured his second win of the match, this one coming at the expense of Screen. Bridger took a comfortable third in the final reckoning as he led home Rajkowski and the two-point advantage they gained, courtesy of the 4-2 was duly doubled in race twelve as Gustafsson scorched to a superb victory, in the process becoming the first rider to lower Gjedde’s colours on the night.

Werner, who performed magnificently throughout the evening, also led the Dane briefly, but nonetheless, his eventual third place, with Ksiezack having proved a first bend faller was sufficient to earn a second successive 4-2, one that put Eagles in sight of victory with the scores now standing at 38-34.

Crump kept the Aces within touching distance as he came from the back to beat Nicholls in heat 13, but with Kennett joining his team mate in eclipsing Screen for a share of the spoils, the scores moved to 41-37 in favour of the visitors.

Woodward capped another fighting display with an all the way win in the penultimate race, and with Gustafsson chasing Ksiezack down every inch of the way, although this effort wasn’t destined to be realised, his third place ahead of Rajkowski was sufficient to snatch the 4-2, one that finally tipped the scales in favour of the Eagles and one that was to send their supporters home happy.

Still the action came thick and fast however, and in the race of the night, Nicholls set the seal on a victorious night for the Eagles by winning a thrilling duel against Crump, one that saw the pair pass and re-pass, no doubt hoping the gain the psychological advantage ahead of Saturday’s Polish Grand Prix.

The race remained shared, Gjedde coming from the back to head home Woodward, however the Aussie had already earned his corn in that previous race and with the dust settling on a 48-42 margin of victory there was plenty of celebrating to be done amongst the Eastbourne contingent.     
 
Scorers :
 
Aces : Jason Crump 13(5), Charlie Gjedde 12+1(5), Joe Screen 6(4), Robert Ksiezak 5+2(5), Ty Proctor (No.8), 3(4), Michal Rajkowski 3(5), Lukas Jankowski 0(1), Rider Replacement for Billy Forsberg – 42
 
Eagles : Scott Nicholls 12+1(5), Simon Gustafsson 7+1(6), Brent Werner 6+1(3), Lewis Bridger 6+1(4), Edward Kennett 6+1(4), Cameron Woodward 6+1(5), Lee Richardson 4(4) – 48
 
BELLE VUE 42        
J.Crump                       2  3  3  3  2                  -  13
Rider Replacement (Billy Forsberg)
C.Gjedde                     3  3  3  2  1*                -  12+1
L.Jankowski                 R  N  N  N                   -  0
J.Screen                       1  3  2  0                      -  6
M.Rajkowski               2  0  1  0  0                  -  3
R.Ksiezak                    1* 0  X/F 2* F  2         -  5+2
T.Proctor                     0  0  2  1                      -  3
Team manager : Chris Morton
 
EASTBOURNE 48
S. Nicholls                    3  2  3  2  3                  -  13
L.Bridger                      1  1* 3  1                     -  6+1
L.Richardson                2  2  0  N                     -  4
C.Woodward               1* E/F 2  3  0               -  6+1
E.Kennett                     3  2  0  1*                    -  6+1
S.Gustafsson                0  1* 1  1  3  1             -  7+1
B.Werner                     3  2* X/T  1  N            -  6+1
Team manager : Trevor Geer
 
Referee : Jim McGregor
 
HEAT DETAILS
1   Nicholls, Crump, Bridger, Proctor, 59.0                                                       (2-4)
2   Werner, Rajkowski, Ksiezak, Gustafsson (fell. Rem), 61.8               (5-7)
3   Gjedde, Richardson, Woodward, Jankowski, (retired), 59.8                        (8-10)
4   Kennett, Werner, Screen, Ksiezak, 61.1                                                      (9-15)
5   Gjedde, Nicholls, Bridger, Rajkowski (res. repl.), 58.8                                (12-18)
6   Crump, Kennett, Gustafsson, Proctor, 59.0                                      (15-21)
7   Screen, Richardson, Rajkowski, Woodward (eng.failure), 61.1                    (19-23)
8 (restart – rerun – restart/unsat) Bridger, Proctor, Gustafsson, Ksiezak (exc.fell), Werner (exc.tapes), 60.4                                                                                          (21-27)
9   Gjedde, Ksiezak (res.repl.), Gustafsson, Kennett, 61.6                                (26-28)
10 (restart) Crump, Woodward, Proctor, Richardson, 60.6                               (30-30)
11 Nicholls, Screen, Bridger, Rajkowski, 60.6                                      (32-34)
12 Gustafsson, Gjedde, Werner (res.repl.), Ksiezak (fell), 61.6             (34-38)
13 Crump, Nicholls, Kennett, Screen, 55.9                                                       (37-41)
14 Woodward, Ksiezack (res.repl.), Gustafsson (res.repl.), Rajkowski, 61.3 (39-45)
15 Nicholls, Crump, Gjedde, Woodward, 61.0                                     (42-48)