REPORT: Cheetahs Maintain 100% Bonus Point Record

Glasgow Tigers 46 – 44 Monarch Oxford Cheetahs
Cab Direct Championship

The Monarch Oxford Cheetahs maintained their 100% bonus point record for the second year, after narrowly missing out on winning the final Cab Direct Championship League fixture of the season at Glasgow yesterday (Sunday).

Oxford have won the aggregate point on every home and away Championship League tie they have raced this year, adding to the same impressive record achieved in 2023. A record which bodes well for the rest of the season, as all competitions are now moving to straight knockout, based on the aggregate home and away score. It also means that the Cheetahs have not scored less than forty-three points in any Championship League fixture, home or away, all season. Another record which no other team in the Championship League can claim.

Already weakened without Jordan Jenkins and Cameron Heeps, the Cheetahs did not get off to the best of starts and were ten points down after four heats following a series of unfortunate incidents. Jody Scott did not get off the start in heat two and then Ashton Boughen fell foul to the same rule as Luke Killeen at Berwick in heat three, when he left the track following an unsatisfactory start and was excluded from the rerun.

Heat four was then stopped with clear movement from Cheetahs skipper Scott Nicholls, although it did not appear he had touched the tapes with his front wheel. He was however penalised and was forced to start on a 15-metre handicap. So early in the meeting, there was no opportunity for Nicholls to challenge the home pair, gifting the Tigers their third consecutive maximum heat advantage.

Anyone who thought that the Cheetahs were going to roll over were very much mistaken, and when Scott Nicholls took the rider replacement ride in heat five with Sam Masters, Oxford hit back with an impressive tapes to chequered flag maximum.

Sam Masters then came in as a tactical substitute in heat seven, and partnered with Ashton Boughen, who was as fast as he was on Friday night, for the second Oxford maximum heat win and the gap was down to just four points.

The next four heats were drawn, with the Oxford rider providing each heat winner but unable to get the second man into a scoring position before a battling ride by Luke Killeen overcome Matic Ivacic for a vital third place in heat eleven, and he repeated the feat in heat twelve to bring the scores level with just three heats to go.

With the bonus point secure, and no further impact on the league table possible, the Tigers claimed a four-two win in heat thirteen and maintained the advantage until the end of the night.

All attention now turns to Sandy Lane on Wednesday night, as the biggest meeting of the new Speedway era takes place, the Championship Play-Off Semi Final against the Scunthorpe Scorpions. Jordan Jenkins and Cameron Heeps will face late fitness tests before they can be confirmed in the line-up for what will be a massive night of speedway action. Tickets are on sale now for just £20, which includes a free drink for the first 1000 tickets sold (Drink options: Pint, small glass of wine, draught or soft drink), at www.oxfordspeedway.club/tickets

Scorers:
Glasgow: Chris Harris 13, Jack Smith 3+2, Jason Edwards 5+2, James Pearson 8, Leon Flint 7, Matic Ivacic 4+1, Freddie Hodder 6+2
Oxford: Sam Masters 15+1, Ashton Boughen 13+1, Jacob Hook 5, Scott Nicholls 8+1, Luke Killeen 3, Jody Scott 0