REACTION: “It was a tough night, but we aim to bounce back quickly”

JOINT team manager Peter Schroeck has reflected on the 40-50 home defeat to Berwick Bandits at Oxford Stadium last night (Wednesday).

The defeat ended any mathematical hopes of Monarch Oxford Cheetahs reaching the Championship play-offs and focus now switches to the Jubilee League, in which Oxford commence their fixtures with a home meeting to Birmingham at Cowley next Tuesday (July 19).

Cheetahs paid the price for a very slow start to the meeting, as Bandits took an early 28-14 advantage, including providing all seven of the opening heat winners.

Oxford made a mid-match comeback, with two 4-2s and a 5-1 to reduce the deficit to six points after Heat 10, but Bandits pulled back away and had victory in the bag with two races remaining.

Aaron Summers top-scored for Cheetahs on 12 points, despite feeling under the weather, while Scott Nicholls (10) and Dillon Ruml (8+2) also scored well.

For Bandits, Chris ‘Bomber’ Harris (13+1) didn’t drop a point to the opposition until Heat 15, when Nicholls defeated him. But the real match-winner was young Dane Jonas Knudsen with 13+1 from six riders from reserve.

Despite the defeat, it was a night of some of some highly entertaining racing, a constant feature at Sandy Lane this season.

Schroeck said: “We can have no complaints. We were beaten by the better team on the night – it’s as simple as that.

“It took us a long time to get into the meeting. We fought our way back into the match, and reduced the gap to six points, and I started to think we had a bit of a chance. But then the meeting turned on its head again and Berwick pulled back away again.

“Aaron has had the ‘flu all week. I think many of us haven’t slept well this week because of the heat, but he’s really suffered, because he hasn’t been well either.

“That didn’t stop Aaron doing his job and top-scoring for us. If we’d have a chance to win the meeting, then Aaron would have taken the Heat 15 ride for us. But we’d already lost by then, so we gave Dillon another ride and he deserved it in any case, because he’d rode well.

“I’m pleased Scott finished the night with a win in Heat 15 over Bomber, because Scott had a rough night with his machinery. His bike still wasn’t right in that last race, he still didn’t have enough power, but he used all his skills and track-craft to keep Bomber behind.

“It was a tough night, but you just have to accept it and move on from it. We aim to bounce back quickly in the Jubilee League. Our season is far from over and that competition gives us something to aim for.”

The Oxford promotion are offering a special joint ticket for next week’s two home meetings: Oxford Cheetahs v Birmingham Brummies on Tuesday and Oxford Chargers v Leicester Lion Cubs on Wednesday. Tickets are available at: https://oxfordspeedway.club/tickets/

Oxford Cheetahs 40: Scott Nicholls 10, Dillon Ruml 8+2, Paul Starke R/R, Aaron Summers 12, Troy Batchelor 4+1, Cameron Heeps 3, Adam Roynon 3+2.

Berwick Bandits 50: Chris Harris 13+1, Theo Pijper 8+1, Jye Etheridge 3, Ricky Wells 4+2, Leon Flint 8, Jonas Knudsen 13+1, Nathan Stoneman 1.