Eastbourne Eagles' Elite League championship chase is on track and gaining momentum. And Nicki Pedersen has no intention of giving up the world title without a fight.

They were the unmistakable messages coming out of Arlington Stadium on Saturday night as Eagles overcame Belle Vue and Pedersen put the main man in the Grand Prix race, Jason Crump, to the sword.

Eagles won a scintillating affair, 51-39 in the end, but the scoreline fails to tell the story of a match which at times saw the Sussex squad pushed to the limits.

Crump, having beaten Pedersen and David Norris in his first two rides, was knocked off his pedestal by Adam Shields in heat nine.

Shields somehow picked up some extra drive coming out of the bend into the back straight to score one of the best wins of his career.

But that had nothing on what followed. Pedersen and Crump clashed three more times in the last five heats, and Pedersen won them all.

Crump was not hanging around but Pedersen simply blew him away, winning going away from the world title leader every time.

The middle leg of the treble was little short of mind blowing, with Pedersen squeezing through a gap between Crump and the boards in heat 13.

Pedersen's fourth win of the night in the final heat set the seal on his best display in Eastbourne's colours.

There were only four points in it after 12 races with Crump and former Eagles Joe Screen and Gary Havelock hanging on like rottweilers for the visitors.

Eastbourne boss Jon Cook admitted: "I had grave fears when I saw the Belle Vue line-up. They were very strong. But we were unbelievable. The whole team rode their socks off."

Cook believes Eagles, written off as no-hopers earlier in the season, are on course to finish in third place.

"That would give us a home draw in the play-offs, which would give us a great chance of reaching the final. We could be looking at a very special year here for the club."

Back-to-back heat wins in five and six brought Belle Vue level after Eagles had taken an early lead. It was 21-21 after seven and only 38-34 to Eastbourne with three to go.

Roman Povazhny, back in English speedway after a two-year gap, fired blanks in his first two outings but then hit the right buttons to win heats eight and 12, beating Havelock in the latter, and in between chasing home Shields and Crump.

It was thrilling stuff, with Screen and Henning Bager both finishing second from the back, Brent Werner getting an on-line decision from Davey Watt and Norris, in heat ten, last going into the bend and first coming out of it.

Ultimately, Eagles had a trump card or two too good for the Aces, but it still took a hat-trick of heat wins to overload the score.

Norris was third behind Pedersen and Crump in heat 13, Screen could only split Shields and Andrew Moore in the next.

The last race produced the only 5-1 of the night but only because Crump's machine spluttered on the last turn, allowing Shields the chance to snatch second place by inches.

Eastbourne: Nicki Pedersen 14, Adam Shields 13, David Norris 9, Roman Povazhny 7, Andrew Moore 4, Davey Watt 4. Bonus points: Shields 1, Moore 1.

Belle Vue: Jason Crump 13, Joe Screen 10, Gary Havelock 8, Henning Bager 4, Brent Werner 4, John Armstrong 0. Bonus points: Havelock 2, Screen 1, Bager 1, Werner 1.