Geer defiant on play-offs (From The Argus)

Geer defiant on play-offs

4:30pm Tuesday 30th June 2009 in Search By Brian Owen

Trevor Geer insists his off-colour Eastbourne Eagles can still make the four-team Elite League play-offs.

But their hopes are receding fast after they suffered a second dispiriting home defeat in succession in losing 50-40 to a powerful Swindon outfit last night.

Other than a wholehearted performance from No.1-in-waiting Lewis Bridger, three super wins for Lukas Dryml and a late revival by Simon Gustafsson, it was poor stuff against a Robins side with no weak links.

Ricky Kling faded after winning heat two, Cameron Woodward tried hard for little reward and Davey Watt’s stint in the No.1 berth ended in depressing fashion.

Watt misses this Saturday’s home clash with Peterborough due to a GP qualifier and a break from the Sussex track could not have come at a better time after a poor run for the skipper.

With promoter Bob Dugard stepping down and no replacement lined up, there is an undeniably depressed air around Arlington at the moment which not even a glorious summer’s evening could lift.

Geer did his best to be upbeat after what was a poor result and pretty ordinary meeting.

The Eagles team manager said: "I'd never give up because you just never know.

“We could go to Wolverhampton next Monday and win or Peterborough and win with the side we’ve got. They are capable of doing it.

“It’s still our aim to get in the play-offs. This was always going to be a tough one with the side Swindon have got.”

At least Dryml gave his flag-waving fan club on the home straight something to cheer. The Czech got the evening off to stunning start, keeping a tight inside line to fend off Leigh Adams to the chequered flag in heat one.

Eagles kept that two-point buffer through the next four heats with Dryml adding another scorching win, this time over Matej Zagar.

Then the tables turned. Zagar won heat six in style to lead a 4-2 before two 5-1s followed to put the Robins firmly in charge.

Travis McGowan and Simon Stead squeezed out Dryml in heat seven and Ryan Fisher and McGowan rode Woodward out of it in the next race to put their team eight points clear.

McGowan produced another great ride in heat ten, holding off Watt and Bridger for a 3-3 when Eagles desperately needed a heat advantage.

Bridger and Gustafsson, the latter at last making a gate after three last places, halved the deficit with a heat 13 maximum but Swindon’s reply was instant and emphatic as Adams and Zagar left Watt and Dryml trailing way behind them. Watt did not even finish, falling on his own at the end of the third lap.

Swindon had it won in heat 14 with a 3-3 behind Gustafsson and ensured maximum points with a 4-2 led by Adams in the nominated race.

Eagles: Bridger 14 (6), Dryml 11 (6), Gustafsson 5+1 (5), Watt 4+1 (4), Woodward 3+2 (5), Kling 3 (4), Norris r/r.

Swindon: Adams 13 (5), McGowan 11+2 (5), Zagar 11+1 (5), Fisher 9+3 (7), Stead 4+1 (6), Hurry 2+1 (3), Pavlic r/r.