REPORT: Oxford 45 v Poole 45 (SuperHeat outcome 7-2)

19/06/24

Poole lost their 100% Cab Direct Championship tag but still picked up a league point in an enthralling match at the Oxford Stadium, where,after fifteen heats the scores were 45-all. But the home side clinched a 7-2 in a dramatic twice run Super Heat to pick up the extra point

Poole riders Richard Lawson and guest Joe Thompson failed to make a decent start but the former was able to quickly move into second place but hopes of hunting down the pacy Sam Masters were forlorn. It was a different story in heat two, although a similar final outcome, as both Sam Hagon and Vinnie Foord had the sharper reactions from the tapes but Cheetah's guest, Jacob Hook was impressive as he took up the running, with Boughen also going by, although Hagon battled back to split. The Pirates of Zach Cook and Tom Brennan both passed Cameron Heeps on the back straight but the Oxford man came back quickly on Brennan. Although the outcome of the race looked nailed one, Cook nearly lost it on the final bend by drifting a little too wide, but he managed to recover sufficiently to hold on to set-up a Poole 4-2 that served to halve the early deficit. But that was soon written off when heat four was awarded following a third lap flip by Vinnie Foord, who, a lap earlier had to deftly kick off his loose steel shoe. Scott Nicholls was the clear leader at the time of the stoppage whilst Ben Cook was trying in second but with too much to do to really affect the outcome.
There was movement from Jordan Jenkins at the start of heat five and whilst there was a retrospective post heat warning, the race did continue, predominatly because both Lawson and Thompson had made decent starts. But the stand-in for his sound alike surname dropped right off the pace resulting in the first shared heat of the night. A second soon followed when Masters again showed his true colours, whilst it became three in a row when Silver Fox Nicholls took the honours from heat seven, which rendered the score 23-19 in Oxford's favour.
There was more early movement at the tapes from the Oxford camp and again the race was allowed to continue, but there was no declared warning this time for Jacob Hook, the clear offender. Again Poole looked to have the better run to the first turn and whilst Hagon, taking the place of Foord as a reserve switch, made the race his there was further back pedalling from the out-of-sorts Thompson. The first major turning point in the meeting followed in heat nine with Hagon, doing two-on-the-bounce, getting well dialled-in and selecting a clever wide line to make it through off the first curve to join Ben Cook for a match-levelling 5-1. More quick pace from Masters was produced in heat ten but equally Brennan was looking much faster than his previous rides and against any other opponent he would probably have moved into the lead, but instead, it was back to those shared heats and a level scoreline, 30-30 now.
Boughen was trying to mix it with Richard Lawson but the Rocket Man was in no mood to offer too much room around the fourth turn and the Oxford youngster had to slam on the anchors, so to speak, which was not universally praised by the vocal home fans. It set up a 4-2 for the Pirates who moved ahead on the night for the first time. Jenkins did well to split the fast trapping 'Dugard-camp' as he saw an opening to go by Sam Hagon and put some pressure on Brennan, but the second 4-2 in succession gave Poole a four point lead. But that was wiped out when Nicholls quickly picked off Lawson on the first lap of heat thirteen to join Masters at the front.
Movement at the tapes ahead of a nervy heat fourteen was picked up this time, Zach Cook the offender and called back for it. The restart was then stopped when Heeps, pushing Cook hard for the lead, lost control on the fourth turn and went down. Releasing his bike it fired straight into the path of the pursuing Foord, but thankfully both riders were able to pick themselves up, Heeps doing so very quickly to rush over and check on Foord's welfare. Heeps was disqualified and Poole had the man advantage in the re-run, but Boughen produced one of his sharp starts and stubborn rides, delighting all-things Oxford as he saved the heat and the meeting moved into heat fifteen all square.
Masters led from the off but had Lawson hunting him down whilst Brennan was in third place and looking comfortable, until Nicholls came on strong on the final lap. Somehow Brennan just managed to hold on for the point to send the meeting into extra-time with a SuperHeat to determine the winner, both sides guaranteed at least one league point.
The decider featured the same riders as the nominated heat and the drama spilled over as Brennan made an inside move at turn two. Masters, who for once hadn't sped away from the tapes, went down and the referee called for the BSN footage to evaluate the cause. His verdict was all four back, not universally approved around the terrace but one guaranteed to maintain the jeopardy of the meeting. But Poole's hopes of retaining their 100% league start to the campaign were crushed when Masters made a much better start and Nicholls rapidly came through to join him as he found a quick line entering the back straight, thus giving the Cheetahs a 7-2 race-off verdict.

OXFORD 45
Sam Masters 3,3,3,2',3=14+1 (5+1)
Luke Killeen 1,0,2,0=3 (4)
Jordan Jenkins 0,1',1,2=4+1 (4)
Cameron Heeps 2,2,0,FD=4 (4)
Scott Nicholls 3,3,2,3,0=11 (5+1)
Ashton Boughen 1,0,R,3=4 (4)
Jacob Hook 3,1,1',0=5+1 (4)
.
POOLE 47
Richard Lawson 2,3,3,1,2=11 (5+1)
Joe Thompson 0,0,0,RS=0 (3)
Tom Brennan 1,2,2,3,1'=9+1 (5+1)
Zach Cook 3,1',1',2=7+2 (4)
Ben Cook 2,1',2',0=5+2 (4)
Sam Hagon 2,2,3,3,1,1=12 (6)
Vinnie Foord 0,FD,RS,1'=1+1 (3)
.
Ht 1: S.Masters, R.Lawson, L.Killeen, J.Thompson 4-2 4-2 [58.32]
Ht 2: J.Hook, S.Hagon, A.Boughen, V.Foord 4-2 8-4 [60.25]
Ht 3: Z.Cook, C.Heeps, T.Brennan, J.Jenkins 2-4 10-8 [59]
Ht 4: S.Nicholls, B.Cook, J.Hook, V.Foord [fell exc] 4-2 14-10 [awd]
Ht 5: R.Lawson, C.Heeps, J.Jenkins, J.Thompson 3-3 17-13 [59.48]
Ht 6: S.Masters, S.Hagon, B.Cook, L.Killeen 3-3 20-16 [60.14]
Ht 7: S.Nicholls, T.Brennan, Z.Cook, A.Boughen 3-3 23-19 [59.42]
Ht 8: S.Hagon, L.Killeen, J.Hook, J.Thompson 3-3 26-22 [61.11]
Ht 9: S.Hagon, B.Cook, J.Jenkins, C.Heeps 1-5 27-27 [61.01]
Ht 10: S.Masters, T.Brennan, Z.Cook, L.Killeen 3-3 30-30 [60.01]
Ht 11: R.Lawson, S.Nicholls, S.Hagon, A.Boughen [rtd] 2-4 32-34 [60.2]
Ht 12: T.Brennan, J.Jenkins, S.Hagon, J.Hook 2-4 34-38 [60.93]
Ht 13: S.Nicholls, S.Masters, R.Lawson, B.Cook 5-1 39-39 [60.58]
Ht 14: A.Boughen, Z.Cook, V.Foord, C.Heeps [fell exc] 3-3 42-42 [60.65]
Ht 15: S.Masters, R.Lawson, T.Brennan, S.Nicholls 3-3 45-45 [60.72]
Super Heat: S.Masters (4pts) S.Nicholls (3pts) R.Lawson (2pts) T.Brennan (0pts) 7-2 [60.79]
SCB Referee Dave Watters
OXFORD won toss and chose gates 1&3 | POOLE choose gates in heat 15
League Points: OXFORD 2 POOLE 1