REACTION: “Poole are the strongest team in the league that we’re going to come up against, but we’ve shown we can beat them over two legs. It shows that we’re capable of beating anyone over two legs of speedway.”

LEAGUE LEADERS Monarch Oxford Cheetahs showed plenty of resilience and picked up what could be a key aggregate bonus point at Poole’s Wimborne Road last night (Wednesday).

Poole Pirates won 51-39 on the evening, but Cheetahs won 91-89 on aggregate, after a last-heat 5-1 from Sam Masters and Scott Nicholls. As a result, Cheetahs remain six points clear at the top of the Cab Direct Championship table ahead of Pirates.

Oxford held a 14-point lead from the meeting at Cowley in June, but found that wiped out in the first eight races, as Pirates moved 32-16 ahead on the night and two ahead on aggregate.

The Oxford fightback started in Heat 9. Masters came into the race as a tactical substitute. Nicholls – having blown both his own bikes in his opening two outings – was also mounted on a machine borrowed by Masters. A last lap engine failure for Ben Cook allowed Nicholls and Masters to poach a 5-1 and place Oxford back ahead on aggregate.

While Poole safely ahead on the night, the rest of the evening was all about the crucial extra aggregate point. Pirates again edged again after Masters made a slow start in Heat 11, due to problems with his clutch.

But Masters and Nicholls levelled the aggregate scores with a 4-2 in Heat 13, after Nicholls picked himself off the track after coming down in a tight first bend in the first attempt to hold the race.

Cameron Heeps and Jordan Jenkins briefly led out of the tapes in Heat 14, before Zach Cook moved between them on the back straight. Jenkins was under pressure from Anders Rowe when he fell on the third lap and the race was awarded as a 4-2 to Poole.

In Heat 15, Masters trapped while Nicholls – still on a bike borrowed from Masters – fought his way around Ben Cook on the opening lap. Cook then took a very tame looking fall at the end of the second lap, to try to gain a second bite of the cherry for his team-mate Richard Lawson. But the referee spotted Cook’s blatant professional foul from a mile off and awarded the race as a 5-1 to Cheetahs, which gained them the bonus point. It also silenced the Poole supporters, while the travelling Oxford supporters celebrated.

Masters top scored with 15+1, to add to two previous 15 point tallies at Wimborne Road for Cheetahs in 2023. With Nicholls mounted by the Australian’s bike for his final three outings, Masters’ bikes scored paid 23 in the meeting in total!

As for Oxford skipper Nicholls, it is never easy to ride on borrowed machinery, yet he rose to the task superbly and scored 6+1 from his final three outings on Masters’ second machine. He had been in second, chasing for first place, when he suffered his first engine blow up in Heat 4 while he seemed underpowered through Heat 6 before that engine too expired.

Heeps (7) scored vital points from reserve, while Jenkins (4+1) took a fine win in Heat 3, beating both Cook brothers, before the fall in Heat 14 blunted his scoring. Incidentally, while it was a nasty-looking fall, Jenkins was up straight away although his bike sustained some damage.

Both Kerr (5) and Killeen (2+1) made their first appearances for Cheetahs after returning from their respective injuries, and both will improve as they ride themselves back into fitness. Atkins had a tough night, but to demonstrate it was a team effort, he was still helping his team-mates until the end of the meeting.

Top-scorer Sam Masters said: “We went into the meeting trying to win it, as we always do. We didn’t get that, but we got the bonus point.

“Poole are the strongest team in the league that we’re going to come up against, but we’ve shown we can beat them over two legs. It shows that we’re capable of beating anyone over two legs of speedway.

“Everyone dug deep tonight and I’m happy how the boys responded, because it wasn’t a straightforward night for us. I wasn’t aware that we actually went behind on aggregate after eight races – but we knew it was close and every point was important.

“We were unfortunate that Scotty blew two engines. It was an expensive night for him.

“On the bike I was using, we made some mistakes with the clutch, but I can’t complain with my score. My bikes got plenty of use and a bit of flogging tonight, with Scott using them three times – I reckon he looked better than ever with my colours on!

“Hats off to Scotty for coming back the way he did on a borrowed bike – it’s never easy to do that, but he did it.

“In terms of the bonus point, it was job done, which meant we finished the night on a high and I’m happy.”

Poole Pirates 51: Richard Lawson 10+1, Kyle Newman 5+1, Ben Cook 7, Zach Cook 6+2, Steve Worrall 8+1, Anders Rowe 12+1, Nathan Ablitt 3+1.

Monarch Oxford Cheetahs 39: Sam Masters 15+1, Henry Atkins 0, Lewis Kerr 5, Jordan Jenkins 4+1, Scott Nicholls 6+1, Cameron Heeps 7, Luke Killeen 2+1.

Oxford win the aggregate point by 91-89