BIRMINGHAM will take a six-point lead to Eastbourne later this month for the second leg of the National League KO Cup Final.
The Brummies won 48-42 at Perry Barr on Wednesday despite only providing five of the 15 race wins as Adam Ellis and Ellis Perks dominated that department for the Eagles.
Ellis raced to a 15-point maximum against his old club whilst Perks was only beaten in Heat 15 by Tom Perry – but home reserves Jack Smith (14+2) and Jack Parkinson-Blackburn (13+3) both put in remarkable displays to keep their side in front.
Birmingham boss Graham Drury said: “After being ten points up half way through the meeting, I'm a little disappointed to only be going into the second leg six up.
“We threw away some silly points and there was a lot of panicking mechanical wise in the pits tonight as well.
“Our two reserves were the difference in the end and they were absolutely superb.”
Eastbourne chairman Martin Dugard said: “We would have been happy with an eight-point defeat, so six points down is better.
“We know what we can do at home. If we can’t pull that back at Arlington, Birmingham deserve to win the trophy.
“Nobody in our team had a bad night. We were racing against the league winners, last year’s champion and they built a fantastic team for this year. These are our hardest meetings of the year.”
25/04/18 1930 Rye House v Wolverhampton (Premiership)
25/04/18 1930 Birmingham v Kent (EC)
26/04/18 1930 Ipswich v Newcastle (Championship)
26/04/18 1930 Sheffield v Redcar (CS)
26/04/18 1900 Isle of Wight v Eastbourne (NLKOC)
26/04/18 1900 Poole v Yarmouth Bloaters (Ch)
27/04/18 1930 Edinburgh v Berwick (CS)
27/04/18 1930 Redcar v Sheffield (CS) 27/04/18 1915 Plymouth v Isle of Wight (NT)
28/04/18 1900 Berwick v Lakeside (Championship)
28/04/18 1930 Eastbourne v Belle Vue (TPNL)
28/04/18 1930 Mildenhall v Stoke (TPNL)
29/04/18 1830 Newcastle v Sheffield (CS)
29/04/18 1500 Buxton v Birmingham (NT)
29/04/18 1500 Coventry v Cradley (NT)
30/04/18 1930 Belle Vue v Somerset (Premiership)
30/04/18 1930 Leicester v Rye House (Premiership)
30/04/18 1930 Wolverhampton v King's Lynn (Premiership) 30/04/18 1830 Kent v Birmingham (EC)
01/05/18 1900 British U21 Final, Berwick
02/05/18 1930 King's Lynn v Swindon (Premiership)
02/05/18 1930 Somerset v Poole (P-KOC)
02/05/18 1930 Belle Vue v Plymouth (TPNL)
03/05/18 1930 Sheffield v Peterborough (Championship)
03/05/18 1930 Ipswich v Lakeside (C-KOC)
03/05/18 1930 Redcar v Scunthorpe (CS) 03/05/18 1900 Isle of Wight v Mildenhall (NT) 04/05/18 1930 Edinburgh v Peterborough (Championship)
04/05/18 1930 Glasgow v Sheffield (Championship)
04/05/18 1930 Scunthorpe v Redcar (Championship)
04/05/18 2000 Lakeside v Ipswich (C-KOC) 04/05/18 1930 Workington v Berwick (CS) 04/05/18 1915 Plymouth v Mildenhall (NT)
05/05/18 1900 Berwick v Workington (CS) 05/05/18 1900 Stoke v Belle Vue (TPNL) 05/05/18 1930 Eastbourne v Isle of Wight (NT) 06/05/18 1830 Newcastle v Ipswich (Championship)
06/05/18 1500 Buxton v Coventry (NT)
06/05/18 1500 Mildenhall v Kent (NT)
07/05/18 1500 Rye House v Somerset (Premiership)
07/05/18 1930 Swindon v Poole (Premiership)
07/05/18 1200 Belle Vue v Wolverhampton (P-KOC) 07/05/18 1930 Leicester v King's Lynn (P-KOC)
07/05/18 1530 Kent v Buxton (TPNL) 07/05/18 1930 Cradley v Stoke (NT)
LATEST RESULTS...
TUESDAY APRIL 24:
CHAMPIONSHIP SHIELD
Peterborough v Ipswich - OFF
MONDAY APRIL 23:
PREMIERSHIP Belle Vue 59 (Dan Bewley 13+2) Rye House 31 (Krzysztof Kasprzak 14+1) Premiership points: Belle Vue 3 Rye House 0
