The city side saw their hopes of advancing to the Craven Shield final disappear during this 23-point reverse at Purfleet.

But Swales was determined to concentrate on the positives that came out of the defeat.

After being crushed by 30 points at Ipswich on Thursday, Panthers did at least take a few steps in the right direction in the eyes of their boss at one of speedway's toughest hunting grounds.

The Peterborough men managed just four heat successes and only two heat advantages throughout another meeting to forget.

Now they are statistics that hardly make happy reading.

But Swales ignored the facts and figures in black and white when insisting his men showed they have the class to make 2008 a season to remember for the right reasons.

Swales said: "The track was diabolical - really, really bumpy - and Lakeside were more streetwise on it than our young lads.

"They must have put more shale on tonight than I have seen there in the past 10 years, but I am not making excuses for the outcome.

"We might have been beaten quite heavily again but I saw enough improvement to know for a fact that we have a team capable of winning home and away this year.

"The difference from the previous night was clear to see."

One-time Hammers rider Danny King had a night to forget as his four outings ended with two crashes (one while leading heat four), just a single point and a seized engine.

Second string Sam Simota again flattered to deceive when collecting only 2+2 while the reserve pair of Henrik Moller and Claus Vissing also struggled at this most unique of tracks.

The former was gifted both his two points while Vissing managed one second place on his way to three points.

Even big-gun Hans Andersen was found wanting as well as he failed to reach double-figures - a display that left Kenneth Bjerre sitting at the top of the Panthers scoring chart with a 12+1 haul boosted by a successful tactical ride.

Swales added: "Danny had what is known as a bad day at the office, Sam struggled again and Hans had what can only be described as a nightmare by his own high standards.

"But Morten Risager rode pretty well and Henrik looked far better than he had in the previous meetings, so I am determined to concentrate on the positives.

"All we can do is persevere and do everything in our power to ensure the necessary improvement comes.

"These boys are here for the season and they need everyone to get behind them."

The night could hardly have got off to a worse start for Panthers with Simota being excluded for tumbling out of the opener and captain Andersen being hit by mechanical problems in the re-run that resulted in a Hammers 5-1.

There was more of the same in heat two after Vissing had been dismissed before for twice jumping the start.

The over-eager reserve touched the tapes at the first attempt and was ordered back 15 metres, but he again went too quickly and was sent back to the pits.

Bjerre registered a rare Panthers success in heat three to stem the tide of Hammers points and another might have followed had King not tumbled out of the fourth contest when close to victory on the final lap.

But Panthers were only spared suffering another 5-1 against when Adam Shields fell while at the head of affairs in heat five.

King again bit the dust during another Lakeside maximum in heat six - this time while he was sitting in second place - before the Danish duo of Bjerre and Risager briefly raised hopes of a Panthers revival with a tactical- ride boosted 8-1 in the next.

Bjerre made no mistake for half-a dozen points when donning the black and white helmet and his partner followed him home to cut Panthers' arrears to 26-19.

But those expecting that return to provide a perfect platform to transform the meeting were left bitterly disappointed as Lakeside slammed in four 5-1s in the next six heats to roar to victory.

That sequence was interrupted by Andersen's only success of the night in heat 11, but even the normally mercurial Panthers captain was no match for a rampant home side led exquisitely by Swedish GP star Andreas Jonsson.

Risager provided a brief ray of light for Panthers when winning the penultimate heat for the second successive night, but it was only fitting that star of the show Jonsson had the last laugh by completing his fine full house in the finale when he got the better of World Championship rival Andersen again.

Panthers could now be forgiven for travelling to Eastbourne tomorrow with their tails between their legs, but Swales insists that is not the case.

"I wouldn't bother going if I didn't think we could win," he said.

Next page: Scores and facts