IN TOTAL contrast to the previous events of the week, this was a most enjoyable meeting with some terrific racing and the right result for the Buildbase Bees.
Eastbourne had inflicted Coventry's first home defeat of the season back at the end of March, but the Eagles' away form has dipped of late, and the Bees were worthy winners on this occasion.
Former skipper Scott Nicholls once again showed the way around his old circuit - coming through from the back on several occasions - but his back-up was limited.
For Bees, it was one of those rare occasions when just about everyone could feel happy with their performance - some may have felt they dropped points here and there, but overall it was a scorecard with a solidarity that has been lacking rather too often.
Heat 1 set the tone for the standard of racing with the four riders virtually level exiting turn two, Nicholls coming from last to second and then chasing hard after Olly Allen, who appeared to have the race won only for Nicholls to cut back and dive down the inside going into the last lap.
However, by the next time the Eagles' No.1 was on the track, his side were in big trouble as the Buildbase Bees rattled in no less than three consecutive 5-1 heat advantages.
Ben Barker again showed his progress with an untroubled win in Heat 2, but it was the battle behind which took the attention with 16-year-old guest Joe Haines - in for Andreas Messing - seeing off Tomas Suchanek in the early stages and then showing real maturity to line up and then round James Brundle at the start of the last lap.
Things got better still for Coventry with Harris making a fast start in Heat 3 and Janniro somehow getting into turn three in second place after appearing to be swallowed up on the back straight. Lee Richardson lost all momentum on the inside and Cameron Woodward's outside run was blocked with Janniro amazingly managing to emerge from a sandwich situation in front.
And then in Heat 4 Simon Stead gated just ahead of Edward Kennett and forced his opponent wide on turn two, allowing space for Barker to come through on the inside, the pair then riding well together to move the score up to 18-6.
There had to be a snag somewhere, and it came in Heat 5 when Nicholls took a tactical ride - and was initially squeezed out in another competitive first turn. Team-mate Lewis Bridger, however, played an important role in slightly delaying Harris, and that gave Nicholls the opportunity to come down the inside into turn three. Harris, trying to respond, came down, and it was just fortunate that the following riders avoided him.
There were no arguments with the referee's decision to exclude the Bees skipper, and the Eagles gained a bonus in the re-run when Janniro, having seemingly ridden around Bridger on turn three, then lost the place at the end of the lap and the visitors celebrated an unexpected 8-1 - just, because Bridger lost power approaching the line and just made it home.
Kennett leapt off gate two to beat Allen and Rory Schlein to the first bend in Heat 6 and take a relatively straightforward win, and the Eagles narrowed the gap to three points with a 4-2 in Heat 7 - Schlein initially holding the lead by superbly going between Richardson and Woodward off turn two, but then being caught on his inside by Richardson on the exit of the fourth bend.
Bees responded, however, in a terrific three-way battle in Heat 8 with Allen fending off the challenge of Bridger, who had to be fully aware of Barker throughout - and the Eagles were virtually back where they started when Janniro clamped Kennett on the first bend of Heat 9, Harris swept around the outside and the Bees were away with another 5-1.
Schlein, whose performance was worthy of high praise given the circumstances, rode one of his best first bends of the season to make it around Richardson in Heat 10, and with Allen in third place, the Eagles needed far more than race wins from Nicholls to make up the eleven point gap.
Nicholls duly delivered in Heat 11, chasing Stead for two and a half laps and then making it through on the inside when Stead slightly lifted on the back straight - and a word too for Haines, who was right with Bridger for the duration of the race.
Harris produced a vintage move by lining up Richardson and then shooting through on the inside on lap three of Heat 12, and Barker was unfortunate to puncture with the finishing line in sight, handing a point to Suchanek.
Nicholls served up another cracker in Heat 13 with Stead doing everything right until the very last bend, believing he had all of his angles covered, only for Nicholls to mount an unexpected outside challenge and snatch the win on the line.
However, in the context of the meeting, Kennett's last place kept Bees nine points in front, and with no tactical substitute in Heat 14 the points were as good as safe.
Janniro made sure with a win in that penultimate race, with Woodward making a brave back straight move to find his way past Barker, who nonetheless completed another most impressive show at reserve.
Heat 15 saw Nicholls finally make a fast start, and although he was reeled in by Harris he did enough to keep himself in front, with Schlein rounding off his spell with the Bees for the moment at least with another paid second place, and a good reception from the crowd.
In many ways it was the kind of all-round performance from the Bees which they haven't been able to deliver consistently all season, hence the upcoming changes, but this was an excellent advert for the sport and the final result was thoroughly deserved.
BUILDBASE BEES 52 Rory Schlein 1* 2 3 1* 1* = 8+3 Olly Allen 2 1* 3 1 = 7+1 Chris Harris 3 X 3 3 2 = 11 Billy Janniro 2* 1 2* 3 = 8+2 Simon Stead 2* 2 2 2 = 8+1 Joe Haines 2* 0 0 = 2+1 Ben Barker 3 3 1 0 1 = 8
EASTBOURNE 41 Scott Nicholls 3 6^ 3 3 3 = 18 Lewis Bridger 0 2* 2 1 0 = 5+1 Lee Richardson 0 3 2 2 = 7 Cameron Woodward 1 1 0 2 = 4 Edward Kennett 1 3 1 0 = 5 Tomas Suchanek 0 0 0 1* = 1+1 James Brundle 1 0 0 0 = 1
