Eagles win but drop home point (From The Argus)

Eagles win but drop home point

10:09pm Saturday 21st April 2012 in Eagles news By Brian Owen

Eastbourne scored another win at Arlington tonight – but they let a bonus point slip away in heat 15.

Eagles beat Peterborough 50-45 having seen a 14-point lead reduced to just three.

Panthers used an 8-1 and 5-1 in heats 11 and 12, both involving star reserve Michael Jepsen Jensen, to reduce their deficit from 38-24 to just 40-37.

Lewis Bridger won a thrilling heat 13 to ensure shared spoils in a re-run after Edward Kennett crashed in the initial staging with Eagles on a 4-2.

Denis Gizatullin and Cameron Woodward then gated for a 5-1 over Jepsen Jensen and Jesper B Monberg in heat 14 to secure the win.

But Kenneth Bjerre beat Bridger in the nominated race while Linus Sundstrom successfully defended a precious third place as the previously unbeaten Lukas Dryml sought to force his way first inside, then outside.

Sundstrom’s efforts ensured a heat advantage for Panthers and a losing bonus point.

Despite that disappointment, Dryml was the pick of the home side as he rode against his parent club.

Eagles led all the way from heat one, when Kennett and Dryml had a 5-1, but were hindered by illness to Simon Gustafsson, who only took three rides, and Kennett’s error in heat 13.

The Coventry rider, guesting for Joonas Kylmakorpi, was unbeaten until he took out Bjerre.

He landed badly and will have a check-up on a painful shoulder.

Eagles: Dryml 10+2 (5), Bridger 10 (5), Kennett 8+1 (4), Woodward 6+2 (4), Gizatullin 6+1 (5), Lahti 5+1 (4), Gustafsson 5 (3).

Peterborough: Jepsen Jensen 16+2^ (7), Bjerre 15^ (5), Sundstrom 6+1 (5), Allen 6 (5), Monberg 2+1 (5), Tungate 0 (3), Bach r/r