Lynn edged an Elite League thriller tonight against the champions at the Norfolk Arena.

Coventry tracked Russian sensation Emil Sayfutdinov for his UK domestic debut but Rob Lyon's men responded in front of a bumper Saddlebow turn out. The hosts also had to recover from a mid-meeting injury blow when Niels-Kristian Iversen retired with a dislocated shoulder but Lynn's teak tough reserves dug deep with Kenneth Bjerre (five ride maximum) leading from the front.

'The reserves really came to the party tonight,' said Lyon. 'I was really pleased for Filip Sitera. He had a good meeting at Belle Vue the other night and another solid one here so hopefully he has turned the corner. He is giving us the input we need from a number seven and it makes a big difference. Lasse was just unbelievable again in a couple of rides.

'I think the turning point was heat 11 when they had Sayfutdinov and (Troy) Batchelor against our two reserves and we managed to get a 3-3 out of that race. That gave us the confidence to go on and win the meeting.'

Sayfutdinov dawdled at the traps in the opener but swiftly dived inside Sam Masters before jousting with Kenneth Bjerre – Lynn's Dane clearly on the gas to repel the high profile Bee in a 59.04 second tour.

Lasse Bjerre shredded the tapes in the reserves - forcing the impressive teen off 15 metres. Team mate Sitera was caught in a Coventry pincer but Richard Sweetman's mature defensive line held up the Czech to anchor a visiting maximum.

Mads Korneliussen played hard ball with the ever-popular Ryan Fisher to glide into Olly Allen's slipstream as Lyon's men replied in kind. Iversen looked sharp in heat four but for drama Sitera's joust with Josh Auty caught the eye – Lynn's young Czech cashing in on the final lap to edge a home heat advantage.

Allen tumbled in heat five but Sayfutdinov's breathtaking tight bottom bend pass stunned Korneliussen to underscore the Russian's class – Coventry's number one taking the acclaim of the appreciative Norfolk Arena faithful.

Masters was outmuscled by Edward Kennett and Sweetman but Kenneth Bjerre was far too swift for the Coventry duo to leave the duo deadlocked on 18 apiece after six. Iversen almost took out Lasse Bjerre when Fisher grabbed the inside dirt before the Dane tumbled around the top bend looking to cut back on the former Edinburgh racer – Iversen walking back to the pits holding his left shoulder prior to his early retirement.

Fisher claimed the re-run with the outnumbered Bjerre junior using all his Saddlebow trackcraft to foil Auty. Batchelor maintained Coventry's mid-meeting surge but Sitera and Masters threw up a home roadblock to frustrate Auty to kept Lynn within touching distance. Korneliussen and Allen pounded in a second home maximum to tilt the contest back in Lynn's favour on the cusp of the interval.

Captain Allen trapped superbly but Korneliussen had to graft his way past Kennett with the Team GB squad man pushing the Stars' second string to the wire. Auty catapulted over his bars exiting turn four on the restart after Masters and Kenneth Bjerre held their tight lines behind Fisher. Coventry's young Brit hobbled back to the pits before Kenneth Bjerre overcame a sluggish gate on the initial tour to complete his hat-trick.

Sayfutdinov claimed the next but Sitera bravely nudged aside Batchelor to back up Lasse Bjerre as Lynn's reserves squared off the heat spoils to preserve their four point lead. Allen shepherded the over-worked Sitera around to cancel out Fisher's flag in the next.

Kenneth Bjerre blasted away from Sayfutdinov in heat 13 to maintain his throttle-perfect night before Lynn struck a decisive blow when Korneliussen and Lasse Bjerre powered past Fisher to delight a huge home crowd in the penultimate contest.

Sayfutdinov and Kennett trapped in the finale but, fittingly, maximum man Kenneth Bjerre dipped inside his GP rival to tumultuous applause from the home fans.

• Stars: K Bjerre 15, Masters 2+1, Allen 7+1, Korneliussen 10+2, Iversen 3, L Bjerre 6+1, Sitera 7+1.

• Bees: Sayfutdinov 12, Batchelor 5+1, Fisher 10, Kennett 6+1, Sweetman 3+2, Auty 4.