Eastbourne Eagles grabbed their second draw of the season in a thrilling Elite League battle at Peterborough last night.

The Sussex squad will now fancy their chances of recording their first home league win of 2001 against the Panthers at Arlington tonight.

Eastbourne were good value for the 45-45 scoreline, despite a slice of luck in the final heat.

The teams went into the race with the scores level, and Peterborough looked odds-on to win when Mark Loram and Shane Parker roared into the lead.

World No. 1 Loram's bike then packed up, and the heat was shared with Parker being fol-lowed home by Joe Screen and Joonas Kyl-makorpi.

Screen was paid for 13 points, but it was the form of Kylmakorpi and fellow Swede Marcus Andersson that will give Eagles a boost ahead of tonight's return clash.

Kylmakorpi had his best match so far with eight, paid nine, points, while Andersson scored seven plus one.

The visitors made a flying start, taking a 10-2 lead after two heats.

Screen won the open-er with Kylmakorpi go-ing past Ryan Sullivan to complete a 5-1.

Andersson and Werner repeated the act in the next, and nine heats had gone before the home side got in front for the first time by two points.

That lead was over-turned in heat 13 after the stadium had been hit by a hailstorm, David Norris and Screen racing to a 5-1 to put Eagles 40-38 ahead with two races to go.

Peterborough squared the match in the next, and then came the last-heat drama.

Panthers: Shane Parker 11, Mark Loram 10, Matej Ferjan 9, David Howe 6, Ryan Sullivan 5, Adrian Rymel 4, Grant McDonald 0.

Eagles: Joe Screen 11, Martin Dugard 9, Joonas Kylmakorpi 8, Marcus And-ersson 7, David Norris 6, Brent Werner 3, Dean Bar-ker 1.