REACTION: “We’re just all high in confidence and want to keep it going.”

MONARCH Oxford Cheetahs left reigning champions Poole Pirates reeling, with an emphatic 52-38 victory in the top of the table clash at Oxford Stadium last night (Wednesday) in front of a bumper crowd.

The result was Cheetahs’ sixth victory in six meetings in the Cab Direct Championship, maintaining their 100% record in the league and stretching their lead at the top of the table to four points.

Oxford’s heat leaders dominated the meeting. Both Lewis Kerr (14) and Scott Nicholls (13+1) dropped just a single point, while Sam Masters scored 11. The trio won 10 races between them.

Add in yet another lively performance from Henry Atkins (9+1) from reserve, plus a battling 5+3 from Cameron Heeps and Cheetahs had far too much than Pirates – who also entered this meeting with an unbeaten league status – could handle.

Cheetahs led throughout, despite having to overcome adversity. Already using rider replacement for Jordan Jenkins – out with a wrist injury – Kerr has ridden in the two meetings for Cheetahs at Plymouth on Tuesday and at home to Poole, despite a knee injury that forced him to withdraw at Berwick on Saturday.

Atkins continued in the meeting last night, despite a heavy fall in his third outing, that also left him nursing his knee.

As a contest, Cheetahs soon charged into a 16-8 lead, had extended that advantage to 29-19 after eight races and it took Pirates until Heat 9 to register a single heat-winner.

Despite that, Pirates looked sharper in the batch of races before the interval. Kerr worked hard to pass Kyle Newman with a lap to go to win Heat 8, while Masters avoided a 5-1 to Poole’s Cook brothers in Heat 10, by flying around Ben Cook on the very final bend. Nicholls also needed to overtake Steve Worrall to win Heat 11 and Pirates were looking much more of a threat.

Cheetahs headed into the break at eight points ahead and the contest looked far from over. The interval was extended due to a medical incident in the crowd.

The first race after the break – in Heat 12 – was a huge race. Kerr trapped, while Atkins and Newman battled for second place. Newman lifted on the fourth bend and Atkins somehow squeezed through the closing gap between Newman and the air fence. Newman lost momentum and Ben Cook took over third place, but Atkins fended him off and Cheetahs took a 5-1 to a huge roar from the Cowley crowd to move 12 points ahead with just three heats to go.

Pirates were not finished and Lawson and Worrall held a 5-1 for most of Heat 13, before a hard-working Nicholls battled around Worrall with a lap remaining. Fourth-placed Masters almost overhauled Worrall on the final bend. Pirates took only their second heat advantage of the night with a 4-2, but Nicholls’ second place meant Cheetahs had won the meeting, as long as they provided one finisher in the final two races.

Atkins led most of Heat 14, but he was pipped by Zach Cook on the final lap, while Heeps fought off Newman for third place.

It all got a little too tight in the early stages of Heat 15, with clear contact between Nicholls and Lawson entering the third turn. All the riders managed to stay on their bikes, as the evening concluded with a 5-1 from Masters and Nicholls, to put Cheetahs in an even better position for the aggregate bonus point when the two sides meet at Wimborne Road on August 9.

Speaking post-meeting, Lewis Kerr said: “It was perfect tonight. I dropped just the one point, while it was a really good team effort against the strongest team in the league. We’re just all high in confidence and want to keep it going.

“After the crash at Berwick on Saturday, my leg is currently black and blue, and I’ve got a swollen knee. My thigh, my back, I’m in bits to be honest, but I’ve got one more meeting with Sheffield tomorrow (Thursday) but then I’ve got a week off and some recovery time.

“The team is on a high at the moment. We had some bad luck in the meeting at Plymouth [on Tuesday] and things weren’t going our way. It’s never easy to go there, but we got the job done and took the victory and then carried it into tonight.

“Poole are the favourites to win the league this year. Every race is tough against them. You’ve got top riders against you the whole time. The Cook brothers are a strong pairing together, while you’ve got Stevie (Worrall) and Rich (Lawson) at No 1 and 5.

“To do what we did to them tonight was very good and we’re in a nice place to take the bonus point, although we’ll still have to be on it when we go down there.”

Monarch Oxford Cheetahs 52: Sam Masters 11, Jordan Jenkins R/R, Lewis Kerr 14, Cameron Heeps 5+3, Scott Nicholls 13+1, Henry Atkins 9+1, Ryan Kinsley 0.

Poole Pirates 38: Steve Worrall 6+1, Anders Rowe 1+1, Ben Cook 5, Zach Cook 7+1, Richard Lawson 12+1, Kyle Newman 6, Adam Roynon 1+1.

PHOTO: Lewis Kerr and Henry Atkins on for a 5-1 in Heat 12 (PIC: STEVE EDMUNDS)