Eastbourne Eagles were denied victory against Coventry last night as the home side's H-Bombers, Americans Billy Hamill and Greg Hancock, inspired an amazing fightback.

The two Grand Prix stars almost single-handedly overpowered the Eagles in the Elite League match at Arlington and forced a 45-45 draw.

The match went to a last-heat decider but the Coventry duo jetted from the tapes to give their team a share of the points.

However, Eastbourne took the bonus point thanks to winning at Coventry at Easter.

The match turned around in the second half when Coventry manager Colin Pratt made a double tactical switch in heat 12.

He brought in Hamill and Andreas Jonsson.

The move paid off as the Bees sped to a maximum heat win to cut the Eagles' lead to six points.

One race later, the lead was down to two points as Hamill and Hancock took another maximum heat win.

In heat 14, Stefan Andersson and Shaun Tacey gave Eastbourne breathing space with a 4-2, leaving the visitors needing a 5-1 heat win to share the points in the last race and they gained that comfortably, dashing Eastbourne's hopes of getting back to winning ways.

Team boss of the injury-hit Eagles, Jon Cook, had drafted in Belle Vue's Jason Lyons to replace Dean Barker who had been injured the night before in the British final.

Eastbourne captain Martin Dugard was clearly suffering from a tumble he took in the same meeting.

It had all started so well for Eastbourne.

The team went straight on to the attack with two maximum heat wins in the first three races.

Reserve Marcus Andersson, whose place in the team has been under threat, powered away to win the Reserves race with Tacey in tow.

Lyons and Stefan Andersson repeated the medicine in heat three and Coventry were immediately on the back foot.

However, they hit back with a 5-1 of their own in heat four but from then on the Eagles steadily pulled away and at the interval were ten points ahead.

Best race in the opening exchanges was heat five when Lyons and Hancock swapped places for two laps before the Eastbourne guest established a fragile lead which he held to the chequered flag.

Scorers: Eastbourne: Stefan Andersson 11, David Norris 8, Jason Lyons 7, Brent Werner 6, Shaun Tacey 5, Marcus Andersson 5, Martin Dugard 3.

Coventry: Billy Hamill 17, Greg Hancock 14, Andreas Jonsson 10, Stuart Robson 4, Leigh Lanham 0, Ritchie Hawkins 0.