Jon Cook today told Eastbourne Eagles fans to prepare for an exciting summer despite narrow defeat on their competitive debut last night.

Eagles went down 48-42 on a freezing cold night in Manchester to a Belle Vue line-up led by Jason Crump's five-race maximum and a valuable paid 15 by reserve Phil Morris.

The visitors never led but overhauled an early eight-point deficit to be level after ten races and will fancy their chances of clinching the bonus point when the teams meet at Arlington in June.

Cook, the Eagles promoter, fancied his team to nick the points at a venue where they suffered so much disappointment last year.

He said: "We dropped points early on and they cost us dear but there are a lot of good signs.

"Andrew Moore is doing very well, Dean Barker is looking like he is really racing hard and there are a lot of points still to come from our top two.

"Once we get consistent performances week in week out we are in for a very strong year.

"That was a reasonably positive performance though I sense we could have done even better."

Adam Shields defied the bitterly cold conditions to lead Eagles' challenge but admitted: "We came here with high hopes of a win because Joe Screen is injured and he is a big part of their team."

Aces used rider replacement to cover for Screen who has a broken collarbone and their four stand-ins chipped in with seven points.

Aces took the lead after Brent Werner came off near the end of heat two chasing Morris.

Morris won the heat and came straight back out to do it again as replacement for the injured Screen.

Lewis Bridger was second in the awarded heat two to restrict the hosts to a 4-2 and Dean Barker and Shields ensured spoils were shared in heat three.

Crump got the start on Nicki Pedersen in heat four.

Bridger was chasing hard until he came off on the second lap and the race was awarded as a 4-2 to the hosts.

Simon Stead, taking his replacement ride for Screen, held off David Norris fairly comfortably in the fifth to maintain a four-point home advantage.

Belle Vue really took command in the next race, Kenneth Bjerre a convincing winner and Stead resisting Pedersen's challenge to complete a 5-1 and open up a 22-14 margin.

Heat seven was a 3-3, Crump way out in front and Morris adrift as Shields and Barker made sure honours were even.

Eagles had their first heat advantage of the night in race eight and it was the youngsters who provided it in style.

Moore flew down the back straight on the first lap to pass Stead, with whom he enjoys quite a rivalry, and Bridger overhauled Tom Madsen to complete a 4-2.

Pedersen and Werner looked to have a great chance to follow that immediately with a maximum, which they did with ease, finishing in that order against Wright and Madsen and suddenly Eagles were right back in it at just 28-26 adrift.

Shields had heat ten all to himself as the other three battled it out in thrilling style for the minor places.

Barker had a 5-1 in his grasp for a few tantalising seconds after profiting from an error by Stead tackling bend two on the third lap.

Stead got back at the Eagles captain but a 4-2 was enough to bring Eastbourne level overall.

Parity only lasted one race. Crump led Norris home in the 11th and the real business was done some way back as Morris thwarted Moore to give Aces a 4-2.

Race 12, the closest of the night, was taken by reserve replacement Morris ahead of Barker for a home 4-2 though the Eagles captain came dangerously close to allowing Bjerre to complete a maximum in a tight finish.

Pedersen really needed a win over Crump to revive Eagles' hopes of winning.

He got a great start in heat 13 but the home hero delighted his fans by coming back on the home straight first time around and Bjerre completed the 4-2.

Shields and Crump added a win apiece as the last two contests finished 3-3.