PETERBOROUGH registered their first Elite League win of the season with a 54-39 Friday night success against Eastbourne at the Showground.
The Readypower Panthers produced a very solid performance to defeat the Sussex side with skipper Kenneth Bjerre leading the way at the top of the scorechart.
The Dane is still building up his race fitness after last season’s broken leg, but scored 13+1 from five rides and showed tremendous courage as he gained a number of his points from the back.
Bjerre was ably backed by Kenni Larsen with 8+2, but there were no weak links in the Panthers side with every rider paid for at least seven points.
But they had to come from behind to record their maiden victory of the year after the fast-starting Eagles had edged ahead early on.
Bjerre passed both Bjarne Pedersen and Timo Lahti on his way to taking the chequered flag in a shared Heat 1, but the visitors then moved in front on the night with a 4-2 in Heat 3.
Norbert Kosciuch then recovered from his early-season blues to win Heat 5 and winter recruit Larsen passed Pedersen for the 5-1 that finally put the Panthers ahead.
Bjerre recorded his second win of the evening in Heat 6 - this time sweeping inside Adam Shields - and with Ryan Fisher also overtaking Lukas Dryml on the opening lap, the resulting 4-2 put the home men into a 20-16 lead.
And that advantage was doubled in Heat 8 as Dakota North was quick away from the tapes, whilst Fisher pulled off a great move to pass Lahti on the back-straight and link-up for a 5-1.
Another home maximum followed in Heat 9 – this time from Kosciuch and Larsen – and the rampant Panthers moved 38-22 ahead with Fisher and Bjerre making it three 5-1s in as many races in Heat 10.
Eastbourne did reduce the deficit with Pedersen’s tactical ride win in Heat 11 ahead of Patrick Hougaard and Linus Sundstrom, but although Dryml then won Heat 12 their luck ran out when double-point man Simon Gustafsson retired.
Panthers victory was finally confirmed when Bjerre and Sundstrom followed home the impressive Pedersen in Heat 13.
Larsen and Hougaard then chased hard after Cameron Woodward in Heat 14, but the resulting 3-3 was still enough to give Peterborough three Elite League points.
Heat 15 finished as a Panthers 4-2 as Bjerre led home Woodward and Sundstrom, with Pedersen disqualified for being the cause of the stoppage in the original running of the race.
Panthers boss Jan Staechmann said: “It was good to get our first victory on the board and I’m really pleased with how all the riders performed.
“It was great to see Kenneth back in the points and leading the team from the front, but what was really encouraging was it was a true team performance.
“Everyone made useful contributions and they were all paid for at least one race win each.
“We now head to Swindon on Monday in good spirits.”
PETERBOROUGH 54: Kenneth Bjerre 13+1, Kenni Larsen 8+2, Linus Sundstrom 7+3, Norbert Kosciuch 7+1, Ryan Fisher 7+1, Patrick Hougaard 6+1, Dakota North 6+1.
EASTBOURNE 39: Bjarne Pedersen 12, Cameron Woodward 11, Lukas Dryml 5, Denis Gizatullin 5, Timo Lahti 2+1, Simon Gustafsson 2+1, Adam Shields 2.