Going into tonights televised Sky sports speedway meeting between second placed Eastbourne Eagles and fifth placed Coventry Bees had the Bees requiring 5 points from this meeting and thursdays home match against Kings Lynn in order to gain a top four play-off finish.
The Bees again tracked rider replacement for the missing Edward Kennett meaning that the whole team had to be on top form at one of the most specialist home tracks in the league.
However from the off the Eagles were sharper than the Bees from the tapes and used their home track knowledge to open up an early 8 point lead after the first 3 heats, and then controlled the meeting from that point on.
The Bees were unlucky with a number of crashes at critical moments but overall fell short of the draw that was required as a minimum, with the Bees manager Alan Rossiter stating on Sky that whilst he was disappointed not to get into the play-offs, the start of the season that very nearly meant that the Bees did not take to the track, and issues that have occufred throughout the season, he was prod to have got so close.
Tonights Bees scorers were as follows:-