COVENTRY owner Mick Horton says all at the club are working overtime to solve their current problems – after the Buildbase Bees crashed to a 38-52 home defeat by Eastbourne.
It was Bees’ third home reverse on Brandon shale this season and a thoroughly deserved result for the Eagles, as well as one which puts massive pressure on Coventry’s run of away matches next week.
A good-sized crowd was present for a meeting which contained plenty of exciting racing, and several close finishes - but not the result or performance that anyone was expecting.
Horton said: “It was a much-improved turnout tonight and it’s a really big thank-you from me and everyone associated with the club. I’m just so sorry we couldn’t get the victory that everyone wanted.
“We’re certainly not going to give up. We know we’ve got the riders, they’re not all performing together in one meeting at the moment, and I’m really frustrated and I feel for all the fans. We’re trying to sort it out, and I just ask people to just stick with us through the good times and the bad times.
“There’s lots to put right, and all I can ask is that when we’re losing, we really need your support. I know it’s easy to walk away when we’re losing, but we need and value the support to give us a lift.
“We will come good, I’m sure of that, and even if the worst happens we’ll still cause a few upsets along the way.â€
Yet again the Buildbase Bees were hampered by their absences, this time Chris Harris and Kenni Larsen due to this weekend’s Grand Prix semi-final in the Czech Republic – a meeting which gets underway on Saturday afternoon with practice in the early morning.
Simon Stead worked hard for nine (paid ten) as Larsen’s replacement, but the rider replacement facility for Harris accrued just two points – and of Bees’ top heat-leaders, Edward Kennett came to a halt when he took Harris’s ride in Heat 8, and Scott Nicholls was unable to take an extra outing as he required lengthy physio on his collarbone injury in order to complete the meeting.
Nicholls’ commitment could not be questioned as he pulled off a series of overtaking moves on his way to four second places, but the Eagles’ fast-gating always looked to have them in charge, even though the Bees clawed back to 30-30 after ten heats when visiting skipper Cameron Woodward was somewhat controversially disqualified after a clash with Bees’ Adam Roynon.
At that stage, Bees appeared to have a little momentum with Stead having won two of his rides – and they could even have been in front having held a 5-1 in Heat 8 until the Eagles’ key reserve Timo Lahti passed Kennett, who subsequently ground to a halt allowing Lukas Dryml through too.
Nicholls, who had overhauled Lewis Bridger in Heat 4 and Simon Gustafsson on the line in Heat 7, again split the visiting combination in Heat 11 but fast-gating guest Sebastian Ulamek was unstoppable when he hit the front.
A 5-1 to the Eagles from Gustafsson and Lahti in Heat 12 virtually sealed Bees’ fate, although they gained a momentary reprieve when Bridger crashed out of third place in Heat 13.
But with two 5-1s required for an unlikely turnaround, Aaron Summers touched the tapes in Heat 14 and was disqualified, and the Eagles duly confirmed their win with a 5-1 from Woodward and Lahti, who passed Henning Bager on the way to the flag.
Ulamek and Woodward rubbed salt into Coventry’s wounds with another 5-1 in Heat 15 as they took the last five races 22-8 – leaving Bees awaiting fitness reports and hopefully an improvement in form for Monday’s must-win trip to Belle Vue.
BUILDBASE BEES 38: Edward Kennett 9+1, Simon Stead 9+1, Scott Nicholls 8, Aaron Summers 4+1, Adam Roynon 4, Henning Bager 4, Chris Harris R/R.
EASTBOURNE 52: Sebastian Ulamek 12, Timo Lahti 11+2, Cameron Woodward 9+2, Simon Gustafsson 8, Lukas Dryml 5+1, Lewis Bridger 4+1, Denis Gizatullin 3+1.
BUILDBASE BEES 38 Edward Kennett 2 3 3 1* 0 = 9+1 Chris Harris Rider Replacement Simon Stead 3 1* 0 3 1 1 = 9+1 Aaron Summers 1* 0 2 1 T = 4+1 Scott Nicholls 2 2 2 2 = 8 Adam Roynon 3 R 1 0 0 = 4 Henning Bager 0 0 3 0 1 = 4
EASTBOURNE 52 Sebastian Ulamek 3 0 3 3 3 = 12 Lukas Dryml 0 3 1* 1 = 5+1 Simon Gustafsson 2 1 2 3 = 8 Cameron Woodward 1* 3 X 3 2* = 9+2 Lewis Bridger 1 1* 2 F = 4+1 Denis Gizatullin 1* 2 0 = 3+1 Timo Lahti 2 3 2 2* 2* = 11+2
