Lukas Dryml insists he does not blame a team-mate for the crash in heat 14 which probably denied Eastbourne a winning bonus point.

The Czech star was heading for a fifth unbeaten ride and probable heat 15 call-up at home to King’s Lynn when he was blocked by colleague Joonas Kylmakorpi and sent spinning out of control.

Eagles, four points up at the time, went on to win the meeting 46-44, a result which allowed King’s Lynn to pocket a deserved bonus point.

Victory of any kind was a relief for an Eastbourne side who trailed 25-17 after conceding 5-1s in heats six and seven.

Dryml was involved in 5-1s with Lewis Bridger and Simon Gustafsson in races 11 and 12 to put the hosts four points clear and looked to have ridden heat 14 perfectly, clamping Davey Watt on the inside and allowing Kylmakorpi to go wide.

Then, with an eight-point lead beckoning, Dryml locked up on bends one and two, sending Watt flying over the air fence and earning the home rider a disqu- alification.

Watt, the Poole star guesting for Mads Korneliusson, somehow escaped serious injury and went in the re-run, won by Kylmakorpi to salvage a 3-3.

But the 5-1 Eagles needed in heat 15 to claim the bonus never looked on as Kenneth Bjerre, always fast at Arlington, sped away for the win.

Lynn had hopes of snatching a draw when Niels Kristian Iversen passed Bridger to go third but Bjarne Pedersen held on to the second place which limited them to a 4-2.

Dryml was clearly angry on the track when his evening came to an abrupt end but was more conciliatory when he spoke after the meeting.

He said: “I was right behind Joonas and he didn’t look for me. I was struggling to race behind him because he was in my way.

“He was in the middle of the track and didn’t know about me, unfortunately.

“He locked up too hard coming into the corner and I didn’t want to hit him so I turned too hard as well and went down.

“He didn’t do anything on purpose. We are a good team and we are trying to help each other.

“This time he said he couldn’t go wider and he blocked my way and I was also fighting Davey Watt.

“It was a bit unlucky. I don’t blame him.”

Had Dryml clung on for the paid win, he would have been eligible for the nominated race.

Eastbourne would have fancied their chances of the extra point had their best rider on the night gone to tapes in heat 15 with just a 3-3 required.

Boss Trevor Geer said: “I would have loved to have had Lukas in the last heat but he didn’t get enough points from his programmed rides.

“If he had won or got a paid win in Heat 14 he would have definitely been in heat 15.”

Still, the general concensus on Eastbourne’s side of the pits was that they were pleased to have got a win of any kind.

Lynn looked to be in charge after those successive 5-1s, which included an excellent ride by No.7 Filip Sitera to block off Pedersen in heat six. Bridger and Dryml raised spirits among a 1,100-strong crowd by beating the otherwise invincible Kenneth Bjerre in heat 11, tying the scores.

Then Dryml glided away off bend two in heat 12 and Gustafsson forced his way inside Lasse Bjerre and Ollie Allen on the third bend for a 5-1 which put Eagles up 38-34 with three races to go.

That, though, was their last heat advantage of the night in a performance which fell short of what is now expected from the league leaders.

Eagles: Dryml 11+1 (5), Kylmakorpi 9 (5), Pedersen 8+2 (5), Bridger 8 (4), Gustafsson 7+2 (4), Woodward 3 (4), Lahti 0 (3).

King’s Lynn: K.Bjerre 13 (5), Iversen 9 (5), Allen 8+1 (5), Watt 6+1 (4), Sitera 5+3 (6), L.Bjerre 3 (5), Masters r/r.