Sussex speedway squad Eastbourne Eagles saw their Elite League play off hopes hit the buffers on Wednesday evening as they were hit for six by a bang in form Poole Pirates side, one that furthered their own title credentials in no small way by handing out a 60-33 drubbing to their South Coast rivals at Wimborne Road. Indeed, it was to prove their heaviest defeat of the campaign to date and the first time that they had conceded 60-points in season 2008. Also, whilst being dealt this short sharp shock it offered them a probable taste of what they are likely to come up against if they should find themselves in the top four come the end of the regular season, and with Poole set to face the Swindon Robins in the other Knockout Cup semi-final, just who their opponents might be if they can get the better of the Lakeside Hammers over two legs next month.
With four former Pirates in their line up and with Lewis Bridger having often demonstrated an affinity for the Dorset circuit in the past, the Eagles would surely have fancied their chances of springing a surprise. However, it was not to be, the Pirates outselling them in all departments, Chris Holder proving the pick of the bunch with a quite superb 15-point maximum while former Eagle Davey Watt suffered only one defeat to an opponent, that coming at the hands of Eagles Captain Lee Richardson in heat three.
Indeed it was Richardson who produced the visitors brightest moments, him following up that third race success with a 6-pointer as a tactical ride, as he eclipsed the challenge of Bjarne Pedersen in heat seven. On a night when Scott Nicholls, somewhat surprisingly failed to shine, it was left to Cameron Woodward to provide Eagles only other race win, but that wasn’t forthcoming until the penultimate race when any hopes they harboured of taking something from the clash had long since vanished.
From the word go, the Pirates adopted the guise of worthy table toppers and likely looking Elite League Champions. Both Holder and Magnus Zetterstrom showed fleet of foot out of the start in heat one leaving Bridger and Nicholls trailing in their wake. The Eagles number one eventually made his way past his young partner but by then the home pair were well on course for the 5-1 that stamped their authority on proceedings from the word.
They were equally as dominant in the second, Daniel Davidsson posting a gate to flag effort with fellow Swede Freddie Eriksson following in his slip stream for the Pirates second maximum advantage on the spin, one that opened an 8-point gap between the sides, the scores moving to 10-2 in favour of the home side. Eagles Simon Gustafsson produced a valiant effort to try and get on terms in the later part of the race, but this was destined to end in disappointment as he overcooked things on the final turn.
Former Pirate Richardson managed to stop the rot in race three, the Eastbourne skipper easing clear of Adam Skornicki from the start and despite strenuous attempts from the Pole, he held his ground to become the Eagles first race winner of the night. Watt found a way past his team mate in the closing stages but by now Richardson had the race in the bag. Things weren’t to prove nearly so comfortable for Woodward however, the young Australian appearing uncomfortable throughout much of the race before eventually taking a tumble on the final bend while out of contention.
Bjarne Pedersen was an all the way winner of heat four though Edward Kennett at least limited the damage, coming from the back to deny Eriksson who had been introduced, somewhat surprisingly to some, as a reserve replacement for winner first time out Davidsson. Nevertheless the resultant 4-2 stretched the home lead to double figures, the scores moving to 17-7.
A measure of respite followed in the next and although Watt was a more than comfortable winner of a restarted heat five, Nicholls and Bridger block booked the minor places to force a share of the spoils. Indeed, Bridger certainly earned his corn in taking the single point, having to come from the back, with death defying swoops on the fourth turn, not once but twice to snatch third place from Skornicki.
Holder wrapped up his second, and Poole’s fifth win of the six races so far with another fine start, one that saw him lead all the way. Kennett produced a similar move as that demonstrated by Bridger in the previous race, blasting around Zetterstrom’s outside on the final bend of lap two to temporarily halt the Pirates charge to another 5-1. However, the Swede wasn’t about to take such treatment lying down and cut through on Kennett’s inside, in devastating style out of bend two of the final lap, thus anchoring the maximum win and an overall 25-11 lead for the home team.
Richardson, Eastbourne’s singular race winner so far, was nominated to take the tactical ride in heat seven, but although he again came up with the goods and the 6-points, their hopes of an 8-1 were dashed as Woodward suffered an engine failure at the start, his race being over before it had begun. Richardson did what was asked however, exploiting an early race loss of control for Pedersen, one that momentarily looked set to benefit Poole but by contrast saw Richardson blaze past the Danish World Cup winner down the back straight of lap one to seal the 6-3, Eagles first heat advantage of the night and one that snipped three-points from the home lead which now stood at 28-17.
The Pirates claimed two of those 3-points straight back however, Zetterstrom continuing a sparkling run of form with a runaway with ahead of Bridger in the eighth. Davidsson maintained pressure on the young Eagle throughout but just proved unable to get on terms. The 4-2 took them closer to the two Elite League points with 13-points now separating the teams, the scores on the doors standing at 32-19 progressively.
They moved even nearer to that reward following the next, another big 5-1 as Watt and Skornicki comfortably out-gunned Kennett and Brundle, stretching the margin further to 17-points and a seemingly insurmountable 37-20 scoreline.
Holder carried on regardless, breezing to his third win in three outings in heat 10 and in the process inflicting Richardson’s first defeat of the night so far. The good news for Eagles fans was that Richardson and Woodward at least combined to halt Zetterstrom’s own paid maximum hopes, the Swede trailing in last place, the race finishing as a 3-3, only the third of the night so far.
Poole made all but certain of the points as Pedersen got the better of Nicholls while Eriksson did likewise against Bridger, the eleventh race 4-2 stretching the margin to 19-points and an overall 44-25 score line.
Further 4-2’s in heats 12 and 13 not only saw the Pirates breach the half century marker but it also set their victory in stone. Watt produced another impressive effort to deny Richardson in the twelfth, Davidsson also experiencing little difficulty in keeping Gustafsson at bay before Holder made it four wins on the trot with another seemingly effortless display to head home Nicholls in race thirteen. Behind them Pedersen got the better of Kennett as they continued their own personal duel and the net effect of three consecutive Poole 4-2’s saw them move well beyond Eagles clutches, the score standing at 52-29 with just two races remaining.
Woodward provided a moment for the travelling supporters to cheer as he took the chequered flag ahead of Skornicki and Eriksson in the penultimate race. However, welcome though that moment inevitably was, with 23-points (55-32) now separating the two sides it was long overdue and served as little more than window dressing for the Sussex side.
The action came thick and fast in a pulsating final race, but unfortunately for the Eagles, it was only the Pirates who were set to benefit. Holder duly wrapped up a much deserved five ride maximum, leading the field for the full course but Watt was the rider to get the pulses racing, working his way through from the back, picking off Nicholls and Richardson in turn to seize Poole’s fifth maximum of the night, one that saw them hit 60-points, with the Eagles, on the night well and truly second best, back on a disappointing 32.
Scorers :
Pirates : Chris Holder 15(5), Davey Watt 13+1(5), Bjarne Pedersen 9(4), Magnus Zetterstrom 7+2(4), Freddie Eriksson 6+3(5), Adam Skornicki 5+2(4), Daniel Davidsson 5(3) - 60
Eagles : Scott Nicholls 14(5), Lee Richardson 10(5), Simon Gustafsson 1(4), Cameron Woodward 4+1(4), Edward Kennett 4(4), Lewis Bridger 3+1(4), James Brundle 0(4) – 32
;
POOLE 60
C.Holder 3 3 3 3 3 - 15
M.Zetterstrom 2* 2* 3 0 - 7+2
D.Watt 2 3& nbsp; 3 3 2* - 13+1
A.Skornicki 1* 0 2* 2 - 5+2
B.Pedersen 3 2 3 1 - 9
F.Eriksson 2* 1 1* 1 1* &n bsp; - 6+3
D.Davidsson 3 N 1 1 - 5
Team manager : Neil Middleditch
EASTBOURNE 33
S. Nicholls 1 2 2 2 R &n bsp; - 7
L.Bridger R 1* 2 0 - 3+1
L.Richardson 3 6^ 2 2 1 - 14
C.Woodward F E/F 1* 3 - 4+1
E. Kennett 2 1 1 0 - 4
S. Gustafsson 1 0 0 N 0 - 1
J. Brundle 0 0 N 0 0 - 0
Team manager : Tre vor Geer
Referee : Dave Robinson
HEAT DETAILS
1 Holder, Zetterstom, Nicholls, Bridger (Retired), 58.45 (5-1)
2 Davidsson, Eriksson, Gustafsson, Brundle, 60.67 (10-2)
3 Richardson, Watt, Skornicki, Woodward (fell), 59.69 (13-5)
4 Pedersen, Kennett, Eriksson (res. repl.), Brundle, 59.78 (17-7)
5 Watt, Nicholls, Bridger, Skornicki, 58.82 &n bsp; (20-10)
6 Holder, Zetterstom, Kennett, Gustafsson, 59.47 (25-11)
7 Richardson^, Pedersen, Eriksson, Woodward, 60.17 (28-17)
8 Zetterstrom, Bridger, Davidsson, Gustafsson (res. repl.), 59.43 (32-19)
9 Watt, Skornicki, Kennett, Brundle (res.repl.), 60.06 (37-20)
10 Holder, Richardson, Woodward, Zetterstom, 59.30 (40-23)
11 Pedersen, Nicholls, Eriksson, Bridger, 59.84 (44-25)
12 Watt, Richardson, Davidsson, Gustafsson, 59.99 (48-27)
13 Holder, Nicholls, Pedersen, Kennett, 59.48 (52-29)
14 Woodward, Skornicki, Eriksson, Brundle, 61.05 ; (55-32)
15 Holder, Watt, Richardson, Nicholls (retired), 60.21 (60-33)
The Poole dominance continued into the second half as the young Pirates fended off the challenge of the Eagles juniors, courtesy of a 27-9 result in a six heat academy challenge.
Three riders rode unbeaten by an opponent for the Pirates who swiftly made sure of their victory, rattling up a 19-5 lead by the conclusion of heat four.
An exclusion for young Matt Bates saw the Eaglets take a share of the spoils in the fifth but the Pirates rounded things off in the same ascendant style that the senior team had earlier demonstrated, finishing with a further maximum from the unbeaten Brendan Johnson and Tim Webster in the final race.
