REPORT: Cheetahs beat old rivals in extra race after Cowley thriller

MONARCH Oxford Cheetahs rose to third place in the Cab Direct Championship table, after a night of pulsating and heart-stopping speedway at Oxford Stadium last night (Wednesday). Cheetahs won a concluding Super Heat with a maximum 7-2 from dynamic duo Sam Masters and Scott Nicholls, after the main meeting against Poole Pirates was tied at 45-45.

Poole entered the meeting with a 100% Cab Direct Championship record, while Cheetahs had won their previous three home league fixtures by a handsome margin. Something had to give and eventually it went all the way to a first-ever Super Heat at Sandy Lane.

The Super Heat is a recent innovation in British Speedway introduced into the Premiership in 2022 and extended to all three leagues in 2023. Such a race occurs when the scores are tied. The winning team in the Super Heat takes both league points, while the losing team still picks up a point, as they would have done for a draw. The scoring for the additional race is 4-3-2-0, so it is vital not to finish last.

On a night where little was predictable and nothing was straight-forward, the Super Heat added some additional drama to that already served up in the previous 15 races.

Poole’s Richard Lawson made the best start, but both Nicholls and Masters were in good positions behind him. Tom Brennan threw himself under Masters on the second bend, but took the Australian’s front wheel away and Masters came down in a heap. The Oxford fans for calling for Brennan to be kicked out of the re-run, but referee Dave Watters rather generously gave him a second bite on the cherry.

In the re-run, Masters got away, but Nicholls was temporarily at the back after contact from Brennan entering the first bend. But Nicholls is not a man to be denied in such a vital race and he switched back to the inside and had roared under both Pirates by the third turn to a huge cheer from the Cowley faithful.

This was a typically hard-fought meeting between two clubs with a lot of history between them Cheetahs took the lead with a 4-2 from Masters and Luke Killeen in Heat 1 and had a narrow lead throughout the opening half of the meeting.

Former Oxford Charger Sam Hagon is a man in form for Chargers and the 19-year-old took a 5-1 with Ben Cook in Heat 9 that levelled the scores at 27-27.

Pirates took the lead for the first time with a 4-2 Heat 11 in controversial circumstances. 16-year-old Ashton Boughen flew under Lawson on the third bend, but the Poole No 1 charged back under his young opponent on the fourth bend. Lawson gave Boughen no room and Boughen was forced out of the race. Lawson was loudly booed by the Oxford supporters for the rest of the evening.

Jordan Jenkins passed Hagon for second place in Heat 12 to avoid a 5-1 to Pirates, while Cheetahs levelled the scores with a 5-1 from Masters and Nicholls in Heat 13, after Nicholls burst around Lawson after a lap in a typically exciting move.

Heat 14 saw more drama. The first was halted with Poole’s Zach Cook warned for moving at the start, which did not please the home supporters since Boughen was leading the race at the time of stoppage. In the re-run, Cook led, when second-placed Cameron Heeps fell while trying to round Cook at the end of the second lap. Boughen remained calm under pressure and led the third staging of the race all the way and take the scores to 42-42 entering Heat 15.

In the final scheduled race, Masters completed his paid maximum, resisting pressure from Lawson, while Brennan thrust inside Nicholls on the second bend to move third place and leave the scores all tied and force the Super Heat.

While Masters and Nicholls led the Oxford scoring, every Cheetah contributed points, and guest Jacob Hook’s 5+1 contribution from No 7 – including defeating Hagon in Heat 2 – was very welcome.

The point gained for losing a Super Heat took Poole to the top of the table ahead of Scunthorpe, while Cheetahs also moved up one place, ahead of Workington on race points difference.

Sam Masters said: “I’m happy we got the win, because I think we deserved it. Everyone dug deep and everyone put in a massive effort. To beat Poole either home or away is tough and I’m stoked we’ve done that tonight.

“Ashton put in a great race in Heat 14. He just kept cool and won the race to keep us in it. He’s got a great future in speedway.

“There’s been a bug going around the family, so I’ve felt a bit garbage this week, but it didn’t affect my performance tonight. We changed a couple of things on the bike that felt really good.

“I did take a touch from Tom (Brennan) and it did cause me to fall. But fair play to Tom, because it was the opening corners of a Super Heat and we were all putting everything on the line and you wouldn’t expect anything else. There was contact, but it’s then up to the referee and he decided to let us all back. It was cool, because I got back up and we got the win.

“I had the easy job in the re-run. Scott did the hard yards, but he’s a class rider and he got through. When I looked over my shoulder and saw Scott in second place, I was well happy.

“I’m stoked with the result and it builds confidence to take to Redcar on Friday and for the rest of the season. If we can beat Poole, you can put up a fight with anyone.”

Monarch Cheetahs move onto Redcar on Friday, before they return to host Workington Comets at Oxford Stadium next Wednesday (June 26) in another Cab Direct Championship clash between two play-off contenders.

Tickets are already on sale for next Wednesday’s home meeting at https://oxfordspeedway.club/tickets/

Monarch Oxford Cheetahs 45: Sam Masters 14+1, Luke Killeen 3, Jordan Jenkins 4+1, Cameron Heeps 4, Scott Nicholls 11, Ashton Boughen 4, Jacob Hook 5+1.

Poole Pirates 45: Richard Lawson 11, Joe Thompson 0, Tom Brennan 9+1, Zach Cook 7+2, Ben Cook 5+2, Sam Hagon 12, Vinnie Foord 1+1.

Oxford win Super Heat by 7-2. Super Heat result: Masters, Nicholls, Lawson, Brennan.

PHOTO: Scott Nicholls roars inside Richard Lawson in the Super Heat to join Sam Masters for a 7-2 (pic: Steve Edmunds)