Eagles ready to prove a point or two (From The Argus)

Eagles ready to prove a point or two

7:30am Monday 23rd March 2009 in Eagles news By Brian Owen

New skipper Davey Watt admits Eastbourne Eagles have a few points to prove this season.

Watt top-scored with 13 points as Eagles scored a pleasing 49-41 home win over league champions Poole Pirates in the first leg of the Elite Shield yesterday.

He shared with Cameron Woodward in the second of two home 5-1s and scored wins over Poole’s big two Bjarne Pedersen and Chris Holder in heats 13 and 15 to secure the victory.

Eagles have been written off as likely wooden spoonists by many this term but there were signs yesterday that they can make those predictions look silly.

Strength in depth is likely to be their trump card and a look at the scorecard underlined that as everyone chipped in.

They will need a captain’s role from Watt, though, and he was happy to oblige after opening with two second places.

Watt said: “You always want to win your first meeting.

“We’ve proved we are determined to do better than the so-called pundits are saying about us.

“We’re not out to prove them wrong but what we are out to prove is to ourselves that we can do it.”

Eagles led from heat two when reserves Simon Gustafsson and Ricky Kling, who are likely to be a strength this season, scored a 4-2.

Still, with an eight-point lead going into the last three races, Eastbourne looked to be under threat by Poole’s top two. Watt, having been squeezed out at the start of heat 13 by both Pirates stars, cut back inside both of them off bend two to roar towards the win.

David Norris then showed vintage racing skills to power outside Pedersen into third, only to lose control cutting across on bend one second time around.

A 3-3 in heat 14 for Gustafsson and Lukas Dryml behind Daniel Davidsson ensured the hosts would win the meeting.

Then Watt shone again, as he beat Poole’s top men to secure the tenth shared heat of the afternoon.

Eagles will attempt to defend their lead in the return leg at Poole on Wednesday before the big one versus Lakeside in the Knockout Cup, away on Friday and back at Arlington on Saturday.

Yesterday’s action was largely about seeing how things shape up for the new season and Eagles saw plenty to please them.

Arguably it was the efforts of Gustafsson at reserve which offered Eagles most encouragement for the forthcoming campaign.

He opened with two wins, the second of them a notable scalping of joint track record holder Holder, before being beaten by a classy pass from Joe Screen in lap three of his third ride.

The young Swede’s efforts earned him a heat 15 call.

Norris played a valuable part in Gustafsson’s best win, doing just enough to slow Holder as the Aussie attacked off gate four in heat four before completing the home 5-1.

Eagles: Watt 13 (5), Gustafsson 11=1 (6), Bridger 7+2 (4), Dryml 6+1 (4), Woodward 5+4 (4), Norris 5+1 (4), King 2+1 (3).

Poole: Pedersen 12+1 (5), Screen 12 (5), Holder 10+1 (5), Davidsson 5+1 (5), Legault 2 (3), Stonehewer 0 (7), Doyle r/r.