Someone forgot to read the script and what might have been a fairy-tale homecoming for Stefan Andersson ended in disappointment at Arlington Stadium.

Andersson, given a hero's reception by the fans after a three-year exile, seized his motor in the pits before the start and struggled to make a real impact aboard team-mate Dean Barker's second bike.

The coup de grace came in the penultimate heat with Eastbourne Eagles in the hunt to pull off a spectacular escape against cup rivals Oxford Cheetahs.

Having cut the arrears from 16 points to just four with two races left, Eagles were on a roll when Andersson and the in-form Joonas Kylmakorpi went to the tapes aiming to set up a last-heat decider.

The Eastbourne pair, however, were outgunned from the start by Steve Johnston and Todd Wiltshire, and when Andersson's machine gave up the ghost after he had clipped the fence, it was all over.

Eagles were left to lick their wounds despite ending 50-40 winners on the night, while Oxford went through overall by 93 points to 87.

The damage was done at Oxford the previous night when Eagles led 10-2 and were holding their own at 24-24 until they conceded a hat-trick of 5-1 heats.

Skipper Martin Dugard top scored for the third successive match. Barker scored three wins, while Kylmakorpi's paid eight included a surprise win over Brian Andersen and a third place against Adams that brought the house down.

Eagles got off to a flying start, successive 5-1 wins by Marcus Andersson and Kylmakorpi and then Barker and Stefan Andersson over Steve Johnston and Wiltshire putting them ten points up after three races.

Barker and Stefan Andersson stretched the lead to 12 points with a 4-2 against Brian Andersen and Johnston in heat five. Leigh Adams beat Dugard and heat seven stopped Eagles in their tracks when Johnston and Wiltshire beat David Norris after Kylmakorpi had been excluded following a first-bend skirmish.

Kylmakorpi's heroics against Brian Andersen and Adams, linked with Norris's second win of the night against Brian Andersen, meant the lead was ten points again, and when Dugard and Norris pulled out the stops in heat 13 the unlikely became possible. Dugard won it from Adams, while Norris beat Brian Andersen and snatch a 4-2 to put Eastbourne 45-33 in front.

Johnston and Wiltshire wrapped it up for Oxford before Dugard and Barker had the last word with a 4-2 over Johnston and Wiltshire in the last.

Eastbourne: Martin Dugard 14, Dean Barker 12, David Norris 8, Joonas Kylmakorpi 7, Stefan Andersson 4, Marcus Andersson 3, Brent Werner 2. Bonus points: Stefan Andersson 2, Kylmakorpi 1.