LAKESIDE Hammers underlined their Elite League title credentials by progressing to the semi-finals of the Elite League Knockout Cup with an impressive aggregate victory over defending champions Eastbourne Eagles.

The Hammers opened up a healthy 19 point advantage at their Arena-Essex Raceway in the first leg on Friday, and, despite losing the return fixture 50-43, they had more than enough credit left in the bank to cruise into the last four of the competition.

The team suffered a wobble midway through the second leg on Saturday as they fell 12 points behind on the day, but a stunning ride by Adam Shields and some excellent work by Lee Richardson put the result beyond doubt.

The Hammers were due to travel to Peterborough today (Thursday) before hosting the return fixture on Friday.