Trevor Geer hailed a perfect finale as Eastbourne Eagles made their much-awaited return to racing.

Richard Lawson and Lewis Kerr pulled off a 5-1 in Heat 15 to secure a 45-44 win at home to arch rivals Poole Pirates in the SGB Championship.

They held on amid high tension under pressure from the previously unbeaten Steve Worrall.

It was Eastbourne’s first meeting at Arlington since September 2019 and the script could not have turned out any better, Action had been due to resume the previous Saturday but a visit from Newcastle was rained off.

An all-ticket, mask-wearing, speedway-starved crowd of 1,000 lapped up the action.

Eagles boss Geer said: “Unbelievable, wasn’t it? We should have won easily, really, with the bad luck we had, but what a first meeting to come back to.

“Great weather and a fantastic meeting.

“To be down all meeting and to come back in Heat 15 was perfect for the supporters.”

Eagles will know they have plenty of scope to improve on this first-night showing.

Lawson got going after a slow start and Kerr relished his new role as captain.

Tom Brennan was a contender for that decisive Heat 15.

He looked quick and smooth all night but suffered two costly mechanical problems which cost him a win and a second.

The first, when he looked set to cap a third-to-first Heat 1 win after Edward Kennett’s fall, gifted Poole a 5-0.

 

 

Their lead peaked at 15-8 after Heat 4 and they were in front all the way to the nominated race.

Kennett lost a steel shoe when he looked well-placed in one race and will have better nights than this.

Geer did not believe any rustiness played a part in his team’s sluggish start.

He said: “It was just silly points chucked away.

“I thought Tom looked absolutely brilliant.

“He could have got a maximum but it was just bad luck which let him down.

“I had him earmarked for Heat 15.”

Eagles: Kerr 12+1 (5), Lawson 10 (5), Brennan 6 (4), Newman 5+2 (4), Edwards 5 (4), Kennett 4+1 (4), Kemp 3+1 (4).

Poole: Worrall 13 (5), King 9 (5), Schlein 8+1 (4), Hume 5+2 (4), Nielsen 5+1 (4), Kelleher 2+1 (4), Cook 2 (4).