Champion Pedersen in brilliant form

Their last win was on August 11 against Swindon Robins.

But the Eagles, led by new-crowned world champion Nicki Pedersen dominated the local derby against Poole to run out 53-37 winners.

Pedersen and Davey Watt both stood tall at the head of the Eagles offensive, each remaining unbeaten by an opponent, the Dane securing a 15-point full house whilst Watt secured a paid 12-point maximum from his four outings.

They received solid support throughout the order however with Morten Risager looking particularly impressive while the Dorset side, despite a mini revival in the mid part of the meeting, largely struggled to make an impact, taking only three heat winners, including one apiece for Bjarne Pedersen and Jason Crump from the 15 races.

The party mood was in full swing from the word go as homecoming hero Nicki Pedersen was presented to his doting supporters as the 2007 Speedway World Champion.

Then as the tapes rose for the first time, that celebratory ethic was still fully in evidence as the main Dane jetted away from the start to comfortably contain deposed Champ Crump.

Indeed, Lewis Bridger looked to have the measure of the 2003 Grand Prix victor for the first couple of laps but experience ultimately told and riding the wide line Crump soared around the young Eagle to restrict the damage to an opening 4-2 for the Eagles.

The drama continued to come thick and fast in race two as Pole Adrian Gomolski, unsurprisingly all at sea on his first visit to the tight Arlington turns, unseated his team mate, not once, but twice in separate starts.

In the first running, referee Dave Robinson gave the Pole the benefit of the doubt and called for a rerun with all four, however at the second time of asking the decision was more clear cut and with both Poole riders still lying on the track (both thankfully able to walk away unscathed) Gomolski was duly excluded.

The second rerun saw Simon Gustafsson and Cameron Woodward easily outpace Jordon Frampton for the 5-1 that opened a 9-3 lead in Eagles favour, and one that put them in pole position for the aggregate bonus point, the progressive score standing at 55-51 (the first leg at Wimborne Road finishing 48-46 in Poole's favour).

Heat three looked set to enjoy a similar outcome as Davey Watt and Roman Povazhny each led Bjarne Pedersen from the start but while the Australian continued to go from strength to strength, the Dane quickly settled in behind him while Jason Doyle slipped through on Povahny's inside to anchor a share of the spoils for the Pirates.

Eastbourne's run of heat winners continued in the fourth as Morten Risager blazed away from Edward Kennett. Gustafsson applied extreme pressure on the former Arlington son but unfortunately to no avail and as Risager celebrated his victory with his usual exhuberance the resultant 4-2 duly extended the home lead to 16-8.

Watt provided Eagles fifth heat winner in the five races so far run as once more he jetted away from the start, this time to lead home Crump. Batchelor also produced a fine effort to stay in contention in the early stages and the net effect saw the Poole duo block the minor places behind Watt.

Kennett found himself penalised by 15 metres having touched the tapes at the start of heat six, however hopes of a further Eastbourne 5-1 evaporated as Bridger slid into the air barrier after Kennett had come through on his inside entering lap three. With Nicki Pedersen an undoubted winner, the race was duly awarded as a second successive 3-3.

The tide of the match seemed set to turn at that point, Bjarne Pedersen becoming Poole's first man to the chequered flag in a rerun race seven. With Woodward too having been excluded having suffered a fall to prevent the stoppage, Risager at least managed to split the Pedersen / Jason Doyle pairing to make it a 4-2.

The Pirates revival continued in earnest in the next however and although few eyebrows were raised as Batchelor took the 3-points, the surprise was more widespread as Frampton followed him home in impressive style ahead of Bridger and Gustafsson.

With that, the 5-1 pulled the Pirates to within 2-points of the Eagles at 25-23 on the night but once more it restored parity at 71-points apiece on the aggregate standings.

Fortunes continued to twist and turn however and Povazhny shot from the start in the ninth to register his first point on the night and his first victory since returning to the Eagles fold.

With Watt doing a fine job of riding shotgun, fending off Kennett's every effort to pass; this provided the perfect retort to Poole's previous 5-1 as the Eagles registered a maximum of their own, one that restored their 6-point lead (30-24).

The battle of the Pedersen's ensued in the first race after the interval but although Bjarne initially got the drop on his Danish namesake, Nicki breezed through on his inside on the second lap to keep his maximum hopes alive.

Not such good news was evident for Bridger however as he suffered his second tumble of the night leaving the result as a 3-3.

Crump enjoyed his first win of proceedings in heat 11, but with Risager and Woodward filling the minor places ahead of Batchelor, this ensured that the Eastbourne lead remained at 6-points, the scores now standing 36-30.

Six-points became eight in the twelfth race of the night. Once more Watt reigned supreme as Bjarne Pedersen had no answer to his Arlington dominance. Gomolski, who had continued to improve with each outing looked set to pick up a point as he led Gustafsson for much of the course, however as the Swede blasted around his outside on the final but one bend, the Pole spun around and fell to conclude an unfortunate night for him.

With 40-32 now the scores on the doors, the Eagles seemingly chose this moment to step things up a gear. Nicki Pedersen continued an unbeaten night's work with another flying victory but it was the efforts of Risager that really had the crowd on their toes. The young Dane countered every move made by Crump to pass and led him home, along with Kennett who was left trailing.

Clearly delighted with the triumph and the 5-1 that extended the home advantage to the round dozen (45-33) Risager punched the air and did a lap of honor having ridden himself into the hearts and minds of the Arlington faithful.

The Eagles now appeared to be galloping to victory and as Povazhny leapt from the start once more and Woodward worked hard to get the better of Doyle for the Sussex side's second successive maximum, this had the crowd on its feet once and finally set the Eastbourne victory in stone.

With the score standing at 50-34 and the Eagles victorious, World Champion Pedersen completed his five ride maximum in emphatic style with another victory at the expense of fellow Dane Bjarne.

Kennett took third place meting out a measure of revenge against Risager but it hardly mattered and with all 3-points in the bag this saw Eagles step up to seventh place above the Reading Racers in the Elite League table.

Scorers :

Eagles : Nicki Pedersen 15(5), Davey Watt 11+1(4), Morten Risager 9+1(5), Roman Povazhny 6(4), Cameron Woodward 5+3(4), Simon Gustafsson 5(4), Lewis Bridger 2(4) '“ 53 (Aggregate : 99)

Pirates : Bjarne Pedersen 11(5), Jason Crump 8(4), Edward Kennett 6+1(5), Jason Doyle 4+2(4), Troy Batchelor 4+1(4), Jordon Frampton 3+1(4), Adrian Gomolski 1+1(4) '“ 37 (Aggregate : 85)