There are no easy matches in this league, according Eastbourne boss Jon Cook and his theory is likely to be tested again on Saturday night.

Eagles take on Oxford at Arlington Stadium The Cheetahs were reckoned to be no-hopers for the Elite League title when the season opened, but spectacular wins in their first two matches was a poke in the eye for the gloom merchants.

They began with a smash-and-grab effort at Belle Vue, where they won a last-heat decider 46-44, and then demolished reigning champions Wolverhampton 58-32 in their opening home fixture.

Considering that Eastbourne only managed to out-manoeuvre Wolves 47-42 first time up at Arlington, you hardly need to be a rocket scientist to work out that Eagles could have a real battle on their hands against Oxford.

It was an amazing start for an outfit who not many months ago were heading for the top-flight scrap heap until they were rescued by former King's Lynn promoter Nigel Wagstaff.

Oxford's previous owners announced at the end of last season the club were quitting to join the Premier League after a long-running dispute, but Wagstaff stepped in during the winter to breathe new life into the Cheetahs.

Grand Prix ace Nicki Pedersen and Sebastian Ulamek have followed Wagstaff from King's Lynn, while Todd Wiltshire, another GP man, has returned to Oxford after being squeezed out of British speedway last year because of the controversial points limit system.

The last time the hard-hitting Pedersen was at Arlington, he banged in a dozen points riding as a guest for Coventry in a nail-biting draw at the back end of last season.

Oxford were four points down at Belle Vue with two heats to go, but Pedersen and Wiltshire turned the match upside down with a 5-1 in the last against Jason Crump and Jason Lyons.

And when Wolves were taken to the cleaners, Pedersen finished with a 15-point paid maximum, Wiltshire with paid 14 and Ulamek with a 12-point maximum.

Once again, however, the greatest danger to Eagles could arguably come from a high-scoring reserve in the form of Charlie Gjedde.

The Dane scored a sensational win over Carl Stonehewer in the penultimate race at Belle Vue to keep Oxford in the hunt and finished in double figures, while nine points against Wolves in-cluded a win over Peter Karlsson.

Losing 51-39 away to championship favourites Poole with a below-strength squad on Wed-nesday was no disgrace, but it did perhaps expose frailties in the Oxford make-up.

Pedersen, who twice beat Leigh Adams en route to four wins and 15 points, and Wiltshire, with ten, scored the lion's share of the points for the Cheetahs, who were without Ulamek and had Niklas Klingberg struggling with a neck injury.

Oxford, who are at home to Belle Vue tonight, will be hoping Ulamek and Klingberg are around to figure prominently in things at Arlington, otherwise Eagles might surprise Cook and win in a canter.

The visitors will be missing Jernej Kolenko, who is involved in a world championship meeting.

Eastbourne: Mark Loram, Dean Barker, David Norris, Joonas Kylmakorpi, Joe Screen, Adam Shields, Seemond Stephens.

Oxford: Todd Wiltshire, Travis McGowan, Sebastian Ulamek, Nik-las nKlingberg, Nicki Pedersen, Chris Harris, Charlie Gjedde.

Saturday's start is at 7.30pm.