REACTION: “I’m over the moon to join Oxford.”

THE FINAL scoreline didn’t tell the full story, as Monarch Oxford Cheetahs lost 33-57 at reigning league champions Poole in the BSN Series last night (Good Friday).

Pirates completed a quickfire double over Cheetahs, having also won at Sandy Lane on Wednesday by 46-43, and Oxford will be looking to bounce back when they host Plymouth Gladiators at Cowley next Wednesday (April 12).

On the face of it, Cheetahs scored only one more point than they did in last season’s Good Friday clash at Wimborne Road.

But this felt like a much more competitive meeting. Whereas last season, Poole won 58-32 despite gaining Cheetahs several points through engine failures and exclusions, this season the Pirates didn’t give a thing away. And whereas 12 months ago, Cheetahs had just one heat winner, this time they supplied five, with new No 1 Sam Masters winning his opening four outings in a classy performance, while Lewis Kerr came from behind to win Heat 12.

Quite often last night, it felt that the difference between the two sides was out of the gate and around the opening two turns. In most heats, Cheetahs were on the pace, but simply missed out due to Poole having the run in the early part of the race.

Pirates have won the league and cup double in the last two seasons and will again take some stopping against this season.

Both Oxford promoter Jamie Courtney and team manager Peter Schroeck insisted afterwards, while it wasn’t the score-line that they hoped for, that “two meetings don’t make a season”, that they’ve seen a lot of potential, and there’s a long way to go in 2023.

Masters won a shared Heat 1, before Luke Killeen came down on the second bend of Heat 2. The 17-year-old was commended by the referee for getting to his feet to allow the race to continue, although having taken a nudge from Kyle Newman, maybe he should have stayed down and tried to get into the re-run. Not long after Killeen fell, Newman edged around Henry Atkins to join Adam Roynon for a 5-1.

Pirates also took heat advantages in the next two races, with Heat 4 taking place over five laps, due to a mix-up by the start marshal. Masters won Heat 5, while the Australian star came back out in Heat 6 as a tactical substitute. Team-mate Scott Nicholls made the start, pinned Steve Worrall to the inside and Masters and Nicholls flew out of the second bend to take a 5-1 and reduce the gap to 21-15.

Pirates then put themselves in firm charge with two 5-1s and a 4-2, but Kerr moved from fourth to second in Heat 10 as he and Jordan Jenkins battled to the minor placings in a shared 3-3.

Poole’s Richard Lawson led early on in Heat 11, but Masters forced a route under Lawson on the third turn and Oxford team-mate Cameron Heeps followed through the gap. Lawson regained second place on the following lap, but Cheetahs took their second heat advantage with a 4-2.

Kerr passed Ben Cook and Roynon on the opening lap to win Heat 12, and the score-line still looked respectable at 43-29.

Lawson ended Masters’ unbeaten run in Heat 13, as Pirates took a 4-2. Jenkins was second in Heat 14 and looking to overtake race-leader Newman, but he left a gap and Zach Cook roared through, as Poole posted a 5-1. It was noticeable how much closer Killeen was in this race – having sized up the Wimborne Road track on his first-ever visit.

Masters led early in Heat 15, but both Lawson and Ben Cook passed him on the opening lap, as Pirates outscored Cheetahs by 14-4 in the final three races to give a lopsided final score that didn’t match the competitive nature of the meeting.

Speaking post-meeting Sam Masters – who won his opening four races and scored 15 points – said: “This is always a hard place to come to, because the Poole boys have always been so strong here, for as long as I can remember. This place can play with your head a bit.

“I felt better tonight. I tried a new engine and it felt nice, but I was still just missing a little bit, so I carried on trying new things, and maybe those didn’t work. I was riding good and making some good starts. There’s a chance I could have had a maximum if I stayed in front in the last two, but I didn’t. That’s the way that speedway goes, but overall, I had a good night.

“I’ve been at Edinburgh for a lot of years, so coming to Oxford is a big change for me. But Jamie (Courtney) and Pete (Schroeck) and the whole club have been professional and respectful and so welcoming, and I’m over the moon to join Oxford. Once I decided I was leaving Edinburgh, there wasn’t another club I wanted to join – I wanted to come to Oxford.

“It’s so early in the season and we’re learning new things all the time. We’ve only had two meetings and there’s still a long way to go. We’re getting on really well as a team, having fun and the results will come.”

Poole Pirates 57: Steve Worrall 6, Anders Rowe 5+1, Ben Cook 11+2, Zach Cook 7+2, Richard Lawson 13+1, Kyle Newman 8+1, Adam Roynon 7+2.

Oxford Cheetahs 33: Sam Masters 15, Cameron Heeps 2, Lewis Kerr 6, Jordan Jenkins 3+1, Scott Nicholls 6+1, Henry Atkins 1, Luke Killeen 0.

PHOTO: Sam Masters leading Heat 1 at Poole (pic: Les Aubrey)