Category Archives: Eastbourne Eagles
Eagles Swoop For Shields
Eastbourne Eagles have made their first signing for 2013 with the capture of Aussie veteran Adam Shields.
Season Review: Eastbourne
With a wealth of strength in depth, Eastbourne entered the 2012 campaign looking for a repeat of their 2nd place league finish just a season earlier.
Elite League Team of the Year
After another enthralling season, the Elite League has drawn to a close for another with Swindon Robins eventually crowned Champions.
There have been lots of ups and downs, with many stand out performers – but here is my team of the year for 2012.
Play-Off Bound
Birmingham Brummies have one foot in the Elite League play-offs after they hammered Eastbourne Eagles 56-34 at Perry Barr to move up to 3rd and end their opponents top 4 aspirations.
Biggest Win For Belle Vue
Belle Vue Aces bagged their biggest win of 2012 with a comprehensive 55-36 victory over play-off hopefuls Eastbourne Eagles.
Soaring Eagles
Eastbourne Eagles continued their play-off push with a comprehensive 61-29 battering of Belle Vue at Arlington.
Powerful Panthers Win With Ease
Linus Sundstrom and Kenneth Bjerre both scored maximums to power Peterborough to a comfortable 58-36 win over Eastbourne.
Eastbourne Ease To Home Win
Eastbourne cruised to a comfortable 54-38 home win over the Birmingham Brummies at Arlington to move up to fourth an into a play-off spot.
Eagles Soar To Coventry Triumph
Eastbourne Eagles soared to a superb away win as they cruised to a 38-52 win over the struggling Coventry Bees at Brandon.
After 3-3s in the opening three races, in-form reserve Timo Lahti struck an excellent victory over Scott Nicholls to provide the catalyst for an Eastbourne 4-2 thanks to Lewis Bridger taking third.
Further level races followed in the next two heats, before the visitors doubled their advantage through a win for skipper Cameron Woodward, backed up by Swede Simon Gustafsson in third.
Yet Coventry pulled themselves back level with a pair of 4-2s of their own in heats 9 and 10, with guest Simon Stead and struggling Eddie Kennett providing race wins, but the impressive Sebastian Ulamek, guesting at number one for Joonas Kylmakorpi, held off Scott Nicholls brilliantly in heat 11 to give another 4-2 in favour of Eastbourne.
Gustafsson and Lahti then provided a huge blow to the Coventry efforts with a 5-1 in heat 12, before Woodward and Lahti repeated the trick in the penultimate race of the night to wrap up an Eastbourne victory due to a 10 point lead going into the final heat.
The Eagles then compounded the Coventry misery by striking a third maximum in four races in heat 15 through Ulamek and Woodward, ending the meeting in style for the impressive visitors.
For Coventry, it was yet another miserable home performance, in which the majority of riders underperformed. Number one Edward Kennett (9+1) was disappointing considering he had 6 riders, whilst the same could apply for Scott Nicholls (8), although he did battle well despite his injury troubles. Simon Stead (9+1) did do a good job as a guest, but with both Chris Harris and Kenni Larsen missing, Coventry desperately needed someone to step up an provide a big score. Without that big-scorer, the reserves needed to perform to give the Brandon side a glimmer of hope, but both Adam Roynon (4) and Henning Bager (4) failed to do so, resulting in a crushing home defeat for the struggling Midlands outfit.
Conversely, it was an excellent performance for Eastbourne, who continues to impress with strong all around team displays. Guesting number one Sebastian Ulamek (12) was exceptional, whilst Tim Lahti (12+2) was a real trump card at reserve once more. Cameron Woodward (9+2) added another strong display in the middle order to lead his side, with Simon Gustafsson (8) forming a formidable middle order pairing with the Aussie. At number two, Lukas Dryml (5+1) consistently does what is required, and although Lewis Bridger (4+1) was a little disappointing, the good performances of those around him allowed the Eagles to take an excellent away win which maintains their 4th spot in the Elite League table.
SCORES
Nicholls-Battling Display
Coventry Bees – 38
1. Edward Kennett 2,3,0,3,1′,0 = 9+1
2. Chris Harris R/R
3. Simon Stead (G) 3,1′,0,3,1,1 = 9+1
4. Aaron Summers 1′,0,2,1,Xt = 4+1
5. Scott Nicholls 2,2,2,2 = 8
6. Adam Roynon 3,R,1,0,0 = 4
7. Henning Bager 0,0,3,0,1 = 4
Eastbourne Eagles – 52
Ulamek-Superb Guest
1. Sebastian Ulamek (G) 3,0,3,3,3 = 12
2. Lukas Dryml 0,3,1′,1 = 5+1
3. Simon Gustafsson 2,1,2,3 = 8
4. Cameron Woodward 1′,3,X,3,2′ = 9+2
5. Lewis Bridger 1,1′,2,F = 4+1
6. Denis Gizatullin 1′,2,0 = 3+1
7. Timo Lahti 2,3,2,2′,2′ = 11+2
source: www.speedwayupdates.proboards.com
Images Copyright Sandra Davidssson (www.speedway-sasha.se) and Wojta Zavril (www.wojta-foto.cz)
Late Charge Sees Eastbourne Triumph
Skipper Cameron Woodward struck a superb 11+3 for the Eastbourne Eagles to power them to an excellent 51-39 victory over the high-flying Lakeside Hammers.
It was the visiting side that got off to a dream start, as Davey Watt and Kim Nilsson raced clear for a maximum in the opening heat of the night.
A brilliant move by reserve Robert Mear to round the home riders off turn 2 preserved the Lakeside advantage, before a superb win for Eastbourne man Woodward over Peter Karlsson only resulted in another 3-3.
Lakeside then doubled their advantage, as the superb Mear was joined at the front by Kauko Nieminen to secure a second maximum for the Arena-Essex outfit.
Yet the Eagles bounced straight back to nullify the damage, with Simon Gustafsson taking the win from team-mate Woodward who charged brilliantly inside Nilsson going onto the second lap.
After wins for Kylmakorpi and Bridger resulted in a pair of level heats, Eastbourne were level thanks to their second 5-1, this time courtesy of Lukas Dryml and Timo Lahti.
Two heats later, and the Arlington side took the lead through Dryml and Kylmakorpi providing another maximum.
The Hammers soon halved that gap though, this time with a 4-2 instigated by a Davey Watt victory, before another 3-3 left the meeting hanging in the balance entering the closing stages.
However, the hosts struck a massive blow in the heat 13, with the fast Bridger and Kylmakorpi duo giving the Eagles a 5-1 which extended their advantage to 6.
Lahti-Heat 14 Controversy
Controversy then followed in the penultimate race of the night, with Lahti surviving an exclusion despite a fall, before getting up and striking a fatal maximum with Woodward which wrapped up a home triumph.
The superb Woodward then ensured that his team would take all 3 points, this time winning heat 15 ahead of Watt, with Kylmakorpi providing a third place which gave a 4-2 and a 51-39 final scoreline.
For Eastbourne, it was a superb team display in front of the sky cameras, with all riders carrying out their roles well to give them an exceptional win against a good Hammers side. Cameron Woodward (11+3) was the real star, being beaten only once, whilst Timo Lahti (9+2) was again a trump card at reserve. Joonas Kylmakorpi (9+1) did his job in the number one jacket, whilst Lewis Bridger (8) also recovered very well from a poor start. Simon Gustafsson (7) and Lukas Dryml (6+1) also both did what was required, and even though Denis Gizatullin (1+1) was poor, the hosts had enough.
Meanwhile, Lakeside will be disappointed that they failed to capitalise on a good start and ended up leaving empty handed. Although Peter Karlsson (11) was strong, he was the top scorer, and the Hammers really needed a big scorer to hit 13+ points. Davey Watt (9) was a little below par at number one, whilst reserve Ales Davies failed to score. Although Robert Mear (8) did quite well, he tailed off dramatically with three last places, whilst Kim Nilsson (6+2) and Kauko Nieminen (5+3) failed to step up to cover for the use of rider replacement at number five.
SCORES
Kylmakorpi-Solid No.1
Eastbourne Eagles – 51
1. Joonas Kylmakorpi – 0, 3, 3, 2′, 1 = 9+1
2. Lukas Dryml – 1, 0, 3, 2′ = 6+1
3. Simon Gustafsson – 0, 3, 2, 2 = 7
4. Cameron Woodward – 3, 2′, 1′, 2′, 3 = 11+3
5. Lewis Bridger – 0, 3, 2, 3 = 8
6. Denis Gizatullin – 1′, 0, 0 = 1+1
7. Timo Lahti – 2, 1, 2′, 1′, 3 = 9+2
Lakeside Hammers – 39
PK-Continues to Deliver
1. Davey Watt – 3, R, 3, 1, 2 = 9
2. Kim Nilsson – 2′, 1, 1′, 1, 1 = 6+2
3. Peter Karlsson – 2, 2, 3, 1, 3, 0 = 11
4. Kauko Nieminen – 1′, 2′, 1′, 0, 1 = 5+3
5. Rider Replacement
6. Alex Davies (G) – 0, 0, 0 = 0
7. Robert Mear – 3, 3, 2, 0, 0, 0 = 8
source: www.speedwayupdates.proboards.com
Images Copyright Sandra Davidsson (www.speedway-sasha.se) and Wojta Zavril (www.wojta-foto.cz)
