REACTION: “We had our backs against the wall, but we dug deep, and we got the job done in the end. I’m enjoying what I’m doing. This is an awesome bunch of dudes to work with.”

JORDAN JENKINS was the hero, as league leaders Monarch Oxford Cheetahs produced a backs-to-the-wall performance full of spirit to defeat Glasgow Tigers by 52-38 in the top-of-the-table clash in front of a bumper crowd at Oxford Stadium last night (Wednesday), to make it ten wins out of ten in the Cab Direct Championship and extend their lead to eight points.

Both teams went into the meeting with a 100% league record, and something had to give. And, after a horrific crash in the initial staging of Heat 5, Cheetahs looked up against it.

Guest Rory Schlein – in for collarbone victim Lewis Kerr – had weaved his way from last to first in fine style in Heat 3 to join Jenkins for a 5-1 in Heat 3.

With Cheetahs 13-11 ahead, the same pairing represented Oxford in Heat 5. Schlein was first away, but he made a slight error on the exit to the second bend, and Glasgow’s Marcin Nowak took over in first place.

Meanwhile, Glasgow No 1 Chris ‘Bomber’ Harris found himself at the back, but he dived under Jenkins on the third bend. Jenkins was left with nowhere to go, there was contract between the two riders, and – as the pair came down – they connected with the back of Schlein’s bike, who was straightened up. All three riders hit the air fence almost simultaneously, with Schlein in particular hitting the fence with considerable force.

Harris was straight back on his feet, but there was concern for both the Oxford riders – Schlein had taken a high-speed impact, while Jenkins had gone in at a very awkward angle. The ambulance came out on the track, but firstly Schlein and then Jenkins both eventually got to their feet.

Schlein was battered and bruised and withdrew from the meeting. Jenkins was also far from 100%, but medics declared him still fit to race, and he made the decision to continue.

To add insult to injury, Jenkins was excluded from the re-run by referee Wayne Jarvis. Harris is not a dirty rider, and it was just a racing incident, but Oxford supporters felt the Cornishman was the guilty party, and he was booed by a large and vocal crowd for the rest of the evening.

Meanwhile, the focus of attention became fixing the fence. A large section on the third and fourth bend fence had been damaged by the triple impact, and looking at extent of the damage, the continuation of the meeting was in some doubt. But track staff did a brilliant job, and after a break of 40 minutes, racing resumed, with Cheetahs using injury rider replacement for the injured Schlein.

Cheetahs came back out fighting. Harris won the re-run of Heat 5 to a cacophony of boos, but not before Cameron Heeps give him a real battle, as Tigers levelled the scores at 15-15.

Sam Masters won Heat 6, while Henry Atkins battled past Lee Complin for third place, as Cheetahs re-took the lead with a 4-2.

Skipper Scott Nicholls has produced some sublime team-riding recently and he shielded Heeps from Tom Brennan in Heat 7, as Cheetahs took a 5-1, before Atkins and Ryan Kinsley posted another 4-2 in Heat 8.

Glasgow introduced Harris into Heat 9 as a tactical substitute, and despite a valiant attempt by Atkins and Jenkins, Harris came though to join Benjamin Basso for a 5-1 to reduce the gap to four points.

Cheetahs were briefly on a 5-1 in Heat 10, but Atkins lost control on the second bend, and was excluded after both he and Claus Vissing came down. The re-run started a run of three shared races – there hadn’t been one in the opening nine races.

Heat 13 was an entertaining race and eventually resulted in a 4-2 from Masters and Nicholls, as Cheetahs extended their lead to six points.

Having already been wiped out by Harris earlier on, Jenkins was also brought down by Vissing in Heat 14, after the Dane lost control on the second lap. With Vissing excluded, the Englishman dusted himself down for the re-run, where he joined Heeps for a match-winning 5-1.

Nicholls produced a moment of magic in the concluding Heat 15, when he raced around both Harris and Basso through an almost non-existent gap on the third lap, to join Masters for a concluding 5-1 that sets Cheetahs up nicely for the aggregate bonus point, as they extended their lead from four to 14 in the final three races.

Masters scored 14 – dropping a single point to Harris in Heat 1 – while Heeps (11+2) and Nicholls (10+2) also scored double figures.

But it was no surprise that Rider Of The Night went to Jenkins (7+1), who took second place in Heat 12 followed by a win in Heat 14, despite being battered and bruised in the Heat 5 incident.

Atkins battled to five points, while the unfortunate Schlein won his only ride before he forced to withdraw. Kinsley did his job in twice beating fellow No 7 Ace Pijper.

Harris – previously a popular guest for Oxford – scored 12+2 for Glasgow on a night when his popularity around Sandy Lane took something of a hit.

Cameron Heeps, who scored 11+2, said: “It was a nasty accident in Heat 5. To see both Jordan and Rory go into the fence the way they did, it was an anxious moment, and it was a big relief that both walked away from it. Rory’s a bit battered and had to withdraw from the meeting, but the main thing is that he walked away.

“We had our backs against the wall after that, but we dug deep, and we got the job done in the end.

“I’m enjoying what I’m doing. This is an awesome bunch of dudes to work with. We’re having fun and we just keep on cracking on and we just want to keep on winning meetings.

“Scott again helped me out in Heat 7 tonight, to make sure we got the 5-1. I just can’t explain some of the stuff he’s capable of doing on a bike – as I said before, he’s just different gravy. I study him all the time and to be riding with him is just a pleasure.”

Monarch Oxford Cheetahs 52: Sam Masters 14, Henry Atkins 5, Rory Schlein 3, Jordan Jenkins 7+1, Scott Nicholls 10+2, Cameron Heeps 11+2, Ryan Kinsley 2.

Glasgow Tigers 38: Chris Harris 12+2, Marcin Nowak 6, Tom Brennan 7, Claus Vissing 1+1, Benjamin Basso 8, Lee Complin 2, Ace Pijper 2.

PHOTO: The battered Jordan Jenkins and Cameron Heeps take a match-winning 5-1 in Heat 14 (PIC: STEVE EDMUNDS)