Result: Poole 41 Oxford 49

Poole's long unbeaten record has been broken by the Oxford Cheetahs who claimed a 49-41 victory and three league points to leave them as a real threat to Poole's top spot

The Pirates knew that the side they thrashed in the BSN Series at the start of the season would be a different prospect for this league visit of Oxford and whilst Richard Lawson and Sam Hagon made a good start over the Oxford pairing of Sam Masters and Cameron Heeps, the latter packing up when out of the running, those good times weren't to last for long. Tobias Thomsen lost control entering turn three in heat two and took an awkward fall that earned him a disqualification from the re-rerun. Then guest Jacob Hook was a first turn faller, allowed back for the third attempt but ended up limping home on a smoking machine on the wrong end of a 5-1. The Cook combination wasted little time in restoring the lead with a convincing 5-1 over Jordan Jenkins and Ashton Boughen but then Peter Schroeck had a moment of inspiration, introducing Luke Killeen as a replacement for the heat two winner, Paul Starke. The Australian rode a solid race to trade places with Tom Brennan and was able to hold firm for the narrow win.
Zach Cook tasted shale in heat five after being moved out by Masters but all four were invited to do battle again and the Oxford number one held off the determined Ben Cook who was snapping away at him throughout the duration of the heat. A ruthless move by Scott Nicholls on Lawson as early as the opening lap was a loud message that Poole were in for a real battle. The scores were level at this stage, but it would be the last time there was nothing between the sides.
Jenkins was rewarded for an early pass on Brennan in heat seven whilst Thomsen was getting by Boughen. But that latter battle changed within a lap and a half as Boughen found some speed that Thomsen couldn't contend with even when Boughen had a wobble on the fourth turn as he hit a rough patch. Both sides chose to switch the programmed number sevens for their number sixes in heat eight, Oxford coming out on top as Killeen, in beating Thomsen, was following his partner, Cameron Heeps, home for a 5-1. In heat nine Ben Cook, out in front, twice hit that Boughen-patch, doing exceptionally well to stay aboard and in control on both occasions and not concede any points to the chasing Nicholls.  Boughen and Jenkins both outgated thje Pirates in heat ten and it took a ruthless ride by Lawson to get by the latter, serving only to restrict Oxford extending their lead by two (27-33). 
That helped with Ben Cook coming in for a tactical ride and with Brennan secure a 5-1 over Masters and Heeps and there was moment of hope for Poole fans as Hook sought out a route to move into third, but before he could complete the move the spun out awkwardly and earned a disqualification for stopping the heat. Ben Cook played a captain's role by winning the rerun to maintain the two point deficit and Poole might have fancied there chances of getting something out of heat thirteen on another night, but Masters was defiant under assault from Brennan whilst Lawson was caught out by a determined Nicholls as the meeting began to drift away from Poole.
Zach Cook was denied one of his customary heat fourteen victories at the hands of both Jenkins and Killeen, the pair doing a good blocking job, enough to get the Cheetahs over the line for a guaranteed three league points. Ben Cook then avenged for his earlier defeat by Masters, the only point dropped all evening, but Oxford shared the spoils to post an eight point winning margin, as feared, a great improvement on that 29-61 defeat of March!

Poole 41
Richard Lawson 3,2,2,0=7 (4)
Sam Hagon 1,1',0,0=2+1 (4)
Ben Cook 3,2,3,2',3,3=16+1 (6)
Zach Cook 2',1',1,1=5+2 (4)
Tom Brennan 2,2,3,2,0=9 (5)
Tobias Thomsen FD,0,1,TS,0=1 (4)
Jacob Hook 1,0,RS,FD=1 (3)
.
Oxford 49
Sam Masters 2,3,1,3,1'=10+1 (5)
Cameron Heeps R,0,3,0=3 (4)
Ashton Boughen 0,1,3,1'=5+1 (4)
Jordan Jenkins 1,3,1,3=8 (4)
Scott Nicholls 1,3,2,1,2=9 (5)
Luke Killeen 2',3,RS,2',RS,2,2'=11+3 (5)
Paul Starke 3,RS,R,RS,0,RS=3 (3)
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Ht 1:  R.Lawson, S.Masters, S.Hagon, C.Heeps [rtd] 4-2 4-2 [58.75]
Ht 2:  P.Starke, L.Killeen, J.Hook, T.Thomsen [fell exc] 1-5 5-7 [60.35]
Ht 3:  B.Cook, Z.Cook, J.Jenkins, A.Boughen 5-1 10-8 [59.5]
Ht 4:  L.Killeen, T.Brennan, S.Nicholls, J.Hook 2-4 12-12 [60.47]
Ht 5:  S.Masters, B.Cook, Z.Cook, C.Heeps 3-3 15-15 [59.96]
Ht 6:  S.Nicholls, R.Lawson, S.Hagon, P.Starke [rtd] 3-3 18-18 [59.63]
Ht 7:  J.Jenkins, T.Brennan, A.Boughen, T.Thomsen 2-4 20-22 [60.41]
Ht 8:  C.Heeps, L.Killeen, T.Thomsen, S.Hagon 1-5 21-27 [60.41]
Ht 9:  B.Cook, S.Nicholls, Z.Cook, P.Starke 4-2 25-29 [59.63]
Ht 10:  A.Boughen, R.Lawson, J.Jenkins, S.Hagon 2-4 27-33 [60.34]
Ht 11:  T.Brennan, B.Cook, S.Masters, C.Heeps, T.Thomsen [Tac Subbed] 5-1 32-34 [59.31]
Ht 12:  B.Cook, L.Killeen, A.Boughen, J.Hook [fell exc] 3-3 35-37 [60.15]
Ht 13:  S.Masters, T.Brennan, S.Nicholls, R.Lawson 2-4 37-41 [60.82]
Ht 14:  J.Jenkins, L.Killeen, Z.Cook, T.Thomsen 1-5 38-46 [61.41]
Ht 15:  B.Cook, S.Nicholls, S.Masters, T.Brennan 3-3 41-49 [60.09]

SGB Referee Mr Simon Humphrey Kennett 
Oxford won toss and deferred choice to heat 15; Poole chose gates 1&3 |Oxford choose gates 1&3 in heat 15  
League Points: Poole 0 Oxford 3

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