Eastbourne Eagles have put Lee Richardson on standby after their injury and illness problems came back to bite them.

Richardson could guest for Grand Prix star Nicki Pedersen at home to Belle Vue on Saturday night (7.30pm).

Pedersen missed the trip to Elite League back-markers Oxford Cheetahs due to a stomach bug and without him Eagles crashed 59-34.

The only bright spot was a superb return from injury for Davey Watt, who scored 17 points from a possible 21 and was the only away rider to win a race.

Eagles only heard on Friday that Pedersen could definitely not ride and were unable to find a suitable stand-in so called up their No. 8 Trevor Harding, who averages 8.33 for Kings Lynn in the Premier League.

Dean Barker missed the meeting with upper body muscle strains. Andrew Moore came in as guest.

David Norris was also ruled out, which made Pedersen's absence even worse. Under the rules for rider-replacement, the skipper would have been able to take one of Norris's heats.

Eagles boss Trevor Geer revealed Pedersen, who is now based in England, warned him late on Thursday night that he might not be fit to ride. That was when the phone calls started.

Geer added: "Nicki called me again at ten in the morning (Friday) and said he really couldn't ride and asked me who had I got.

"I told him I couldn't get anybody. Eight teams were riding and the other teams' riders were out of the country.

"We had to go without him. It was a night to forget."

Eagles will check with Pedersen on Saturday and believe he could be fit to face Belle Vue.

If not, they will bring in Richardson, the former GP rider from Hastings who currently averages 7.79 for high-flying Swindon.

Edward Kennett is a definite starter in place of Barker.

What Eagles do if their woes persist until Monday's trip to Reading is not clear, though neither Swindon nor Poole are racing that day.

The only spot of good news from Oxford was a return from injury for both Watt and Stefan Andersson. Eagles needed Watt in particular.

Back on the track he called home last season, the Aussie had scored 11 points from three rides, including a tactical, by the time Eagles finished heat seven with a 28-17 deficit.

Andersson had a less distinguished start, trailing in last behind Harding as Cheetahs opened with a 5-1.

Then new Oxford signing Lubos Tomicek took the reserves' race, with Lewis Bridger and Cameron Woodward having to settle for a 3-3 in a heat from which they really needed to take an advantage.

By the time an interval was called after heat ten, Eagles were 39-24 adrift and Watt had 14 of their points from four rides.

His white-and-back outing in heat seven turned what would have been a 3-3 into Eagles' only heat advantage of the night. He finished with four wins, a second place behind Tomicek and a surprise last in heat 13.

Eagles looked like they might claw back a 5-1 in heat 15 but a clearly furious Bridger suffered mechanical failure when leading and finished last, meaning Watt's win was worth just a 3-3.

Geer said: "Davey was incredible. He was absolutely flying. Stefan got five points as well and they looked good after injury. Lewis had some bike trouble but other than that rode alright."

All seven Oxford men had at least one heat win.

They pulled off a masterstroke by calling in Danish star Niels-Kristian Iversen from Peterborough as guest.

Iversen replaced Ales Dryml, who has been struggling badly this year, and dropped just one point.

The hosts piled up six 5-1s as they thoroughly enjoyed only their second home win in six attempts this season.

Meanwhile Lakeside Hammers have clinched a Knockout Cup quarter-final tie with Eagles.

And that means another return to Arlington for their team manager Jon Cook.

Eastbourne have Saturday, July 7, reserved for cup action at Arlington, which is just five days after Lakeside visit in the league.

The Hammers overturned a one-point first-leg deficit at home to Belle Vue in their first round tie.

They won 50-40 with Kris Kasprzak dropping one point, to Simon Stead, in six rides.

Stead looked decent ahead of the visit to Eastbourne, going 12+1 (5). Joe Screen added 11 (5) and will be a threat on his former home track.

Oxford: Iversen 10+1 (4), Eriksson 8+3 (4), Protasiewicz 11+2 (5), Johnson 7+1 (4), Jensen 10+1 (5), Andersson 6+2 (4), Tomicek 7 (4).

Eagles: Harding 1 (3), Andersson 5 (5), Moore 2+1 (4), Norris r/r, Watt 17(6), Woodward 2 (5), Bridger 7+2 (7).