REPORT: Advantage Cheetahs, after fantastic comeback at Scunthorpe

MONARCH Oxford Cheetahs showed resilience, as they clawed their way back from ten points behind to win 46-44 in the first leg of their Cab Direct Championship play-off semi-final at Scunthorpe’s Eddie Wright Raceway in North Lincolnshire last night (Friday).

It leaves Cheetahs in a strong position heading into the second leg at Oxford Stadium next Wednesday (September 18) at 7.30pm. The aggregate winners will progress to the play-off final and face either Poole Pirates or Workington Comets. The winners of the play-off final are league champions.

Scunthorpe Scorpions – renowned for their strong home form – built up a 17-7 lead after four races, including back-to-back 5-1s in Heats 2 and 3.

It could have been an even worse start for Cheetahs. Both Sam Masters and Cameron Heeps – on his return from the injury – passed Connor Mountain in Heat 1, with Heeps getting the verdict in a finish so tight that referee Paul Carrington referred to the transponder times to determine third place. Meanwhile, Scott Nicholls passed Luke Harrison on the final lap of Heat 4 to avoid a third successive 5-1 to Scorpions.

The Oxford fightback started with a 4-2 for Masters and Heeps in Heat 5, while Nicholls raced around Mountain on the final bend to win Heat 6 as he and Luke Killeen pegged back another 4-2.

Cheetahs moved within two points with their third successive heat advantage in Heat 7, as Ashton Boughen repassed Kyle Howarth for second place to join Cheetahs’ guest Dan Gilkes for a 5-1.

Scunthorpe were far from beaten and maintained a narrow two-to-four point lead across the next five races, before Masters and Nicholls levelled the scores with a 5-1 in Heat 13.

Heat 14 saw a brilliant ride by Killeen – who had already won a battle with equally impressive fellow teenager Harrison for second place in Heat 12. The Scunthorpe pair led on a 5-1, but Killeen dived under Jake Allen on third bend and then moved to the outside and swept around Harrison on the second lap. Harrison made a mistake on the third lap and lifted and a grateful Gilkes moved into third place, as Cheetahs moved into the lead for the first time at 43-41.

Allen won the concluding Heat 15, chased all the way home by Nicholls, but the 3-3 from Nicholls and Masters secured victory on the night before the action moves down to Cowley next Wednesday.

Oxford only provided six of the 15 heat winners, while every Scorpion won at least one race during the evening. But Cheetahs only had five last places while Scunthorpe had 10, and all four of the shared races had Cheetahs packed into second and third. Every time a Cheetah took the chequered flag, the race resulted in a heat advantage.

Jody Scott battled hard for no reward for Cheetahs. He was well placed in Heat 2 when the race was stopped and Killeen was warned for moving at the start, while Scott was in contention in Heat 9 when he suffered a puncture. Incidentally, Scunthorpe skipper Simon Lambert moved at the start of Heat 12 but was not punished and won the race.

Masters – who overtook Howarth on the final lap of Heat 11 – top-scored for Cheetahs on 12+1, while Nicholls provided a vintage display of overtaking at one of the best racetracks in the country and collected 11+1.

Luke Killeen scored 8+1 and said: “I’m really happy with that. My best bike was bent. We had to strip it right down to get it straight. It’s got new forks, a new diamond and a new back end and now it’s going as good as ever. Tonight the engine was going really well. It’s the engine that goes really well at Oxford, but tonight it did well here at Scunthorpe too.

“Coming with the right equipment makes the job a lot easier. It’s also about learning the right lines around this track, because it’s different from what I’m used to, and I feel I rode it much better tonight.

“I listened to the management and let my bike flow and used a bit of the dirt line in my last one (Heat 14) and I had a really good race in that one, passing both the Scunthorpe riders.

“It’s always great to get an away win, especially in the play-offs when it really matters.

“The team atmosphere is great and the management get behind us all. We didn’t let our heads drop tonight after a slow start to the meeting and we came back and won it. It just shows what happens when everyone is clicking.”

Tickets are on already on sale for the return leg at Oxford next Wednesday (September 18) at https://oxfordspeedway.club/tickets/

Admission is available at the early bird price of £20 for all adults, which increases to £22 on Race Day. All under-16s go free.

Everyone in attendance for the rain off at Oxford this Wednesday will automatically have their ticket transferred to this new date. Supporters are reminded to bring back the programme from the rain off, since it will be used again. Further copies of this programme will be on sale on the night.

Scunthorpe Scorpions 44: Michael Palm Toft 3, Connor Mountain 5, Simon Lambert 9, Jake Allen 10+1, Kyle Howarth 7, Nathan Ablitt 3, Luke Harrison 7+1.

Monarch Oxford Cheetahs 46: Sam Masters 12+1, Cameron Heeps 5+1, Ashton Boughen 4+1, Dan Gilkes 6+1, Scott Nicholls 11+1, Luke Killeen 8+1, Jody Scott 0.

PHOTO: Heat 7 from the start, as Ashton Boughen and Dan Gilkes (hidden) get the drop on Kyle Howarth and Nathan Ablitt (pic: Ian Rispin)