Eastbourne Eagles are on track for the semi-finals of the British League Cup after winning 47-43 at Sheffield last night.

It was Sheffield's first home defeat at the Owlerton Stadium for five years as Eastbourne's horses-for-courses plan paid off with a match-winning display by Mark Loram.

Loram is scheduled to be left out of tomorrow night's return leg at Arlington, but the former world champion, who has endured a wretched season with injuries, did his stuff to set up Eagles for a place in the last four against the winners of tonight's tie between Wolves and Edinburgh.

Loram roared to a hat-trick of race wins, including a first-heat defeat of Sheffield ace Sean Wilson, then teamed up with Adam Shields for two vital shared heats as the Tigers threatened to bite back at the end.

Shields, who defends his Premier League riders' championship on the same track on Sunday, was also in tremendous form.

He equalled the track record in one of his two victories, although Wilson later smashed it again with a new time of 60.2sec. in heat ten.

Loram finished with 13 points and Shields with paid 12, but there were also important contributions elsewhere.

Joonas Kylmakorpi scored a crucial win as Eagles drew the last three heats, while Matt Read and Buzz Burrows weighed in with some telling points.

Read followed Shields home for a surprise 5-1 over Wilson in heat six, Read and Burrows notched a maximum in heat eight, and Loram and Burrows hit the home side with another 5-1 in heat 11.

Wilson's 18 points from seven rides included five wins, but in the end Eagles had too much all-round fire power for the Premier League big guns.

Sheffield: Sean Wilson 18, Ricky Ashworth 9, Andrew Moore 6, James Birkinshaw 5, Ben Wilson 3, Ross Brady 2.

Eastbourne: Mark Loram 13, Adam Shields 10, Joonas Kylmakorpi 8, Matt Read 7, Buzz Burrows 4, Dean Barker 3, Joel Parsons 2.

Peter Ljung has been ruled out of Eastbourne's plans for tomorrow's home leg (7.30).

Ljung is still recovering from injuries he received in a crash in Poland.

Instead Eagles will have Ulrich Ostergaard in place of Burrows, while David Norris replaces Loram.

Sheffield will have Chris Neath as a guest instead of rider replacement.