REPORT: Oxford Cheetahs v Poole Pirates (Championship)

20/08/25

Poole signed off their regular league fixtures with a satisfying away win at Oxford. The 46-43 victory keeps the pressure on Glasgow in the chase for top spot.

After all the talk about "Tapes Gate" that clouded the ending of the corresponding fixture at Wimborne Road, there was some irony that the tapes refused to rise in heat one initially. But once the race did get underway it was Richard Lawson first to show and he extended his personal duel with Sam Masters with another victory, although Poole were restricted to those three points as William Cairns was suffering mechanical issues. Both Jonas Knudsen and Paul Starke had similar, almost simultaneous, afflictions in heat two on the first lap, leaving Cairns to follow Luke Killeen in a rare 3-2 heat score. Both Lewi Kerr and Zach Cook were in determined moods in heat three and put sufficient distance between themselves and Mitch McDiarmid, whilst the gremlins appeared to be on double-time as Jordan Jenkins pulled up. All four starters in heat four finished, Rowe the fastest as he sped by Heeps whilst Cairns was left at the back. Lawson was sharp again in heat five and for a brief while, Starke was with him but Jenkins was quickly into second and so Poole had to settle for a 4-2. (12-17)

Rowe's early route through in heat six was blocked by Masters, but he was to make up ground to gain second place, with Starke sharing the heat. Cook allowed his opponents an advantage off the start but stormed through to take up the running whilst Kerr collected third place to extend Poole's lead to seven. Kerr was immediately back out, covering the rider replacement ride and withstood a move from Jacob Hook round the second turn to establish the win. In came Masters as a tactical in heat nine and he and Starke ended up in a pile on the entrance to turn two, Masters having ridden out to block the Pirates progress. All four were eligible for the re-start and both Rowe and Starke picked off Jenkins to maintain control of the seven point lead. Masters was on a two-on-the-trot sequence and made it back-to-back wins but crucially behind him, somewhat surprisingly given how the evening had been going, was Hook as Cook and Kerr became 5-1 victims. (28-31)

Lawson was passed by Killeen around the first arc but Lawson dug in and re-passed the Oxford reserve to preserve the now slender three point lead. Initially it appeared that might be wiped out in heat twelve as the Cheetahs were on a 5-1 but entering the first turn for the second time, Jenkins just locked up and went down, right in the path of Kerr who couldn't avoid contact. Starke had fractionally more thinking time but his evasive work landed him on the deck again. As the primary cause, Jenkins, who looked quite knocked about, was disqualified and whilst Knudsen won the re-run there were anxious moments as Kerr had very little power as he approached the first turn. He managed to persuade the machine to spring into life and complete the distance for a shared heat and thus avoid a second dropped point, the margin staying at three in Poole's favour. Cameron Heeps chose heat thirteen to have his one good gate of the night and with Masters playing protector, Oxford finally took the lead - by a single point, suggesting that this meeting was going to the wire. A switch of reserves by Poole was a precious tactical move, and Starke responded by getting out of the tapes swiftly. He had Cook supporting him and Killeen trying to break the stranglehold. Off the fourth bend for both the final two laps it seemed that Cook couldn't go much slower but the pair stuck to the task to earn the aggregate bonus point and position Poole in a prominent position, ahead of the final heat, as the lead was back to three. Oxford chose to go to with their heat thirteen conquerors, and had gate choice, so there was every opportunity for them to stage the dramatic comeback, but canny Lawson knew what was needed of him and he delivered by blocking Heeps, opening a line for Cook and the pair settled for the shared heat so the Pirates could sign off their league campaign not only with a seventh bonus point, but also a fourth away win.

OXFORD 43
Sam Masters 2,3,3,3,2',3=16+1 (6)
Jacob Hook 1',0,1',2'=4+3 (4)
Jordan Jenkins R,2,0,FD=2 (4)
Mitch McDiarmid 1,0,TS,0=1 (3)
Cameron Heeps 2,0,1',3,0=6+1 (5)
Luke Killeen 3,2,2,1=8 (4)
Jonas Knudsen R,1',2,3=6+1 (4)
.
POOLE 46
Richard Lawson 3,3,3,1,2=12 (5)
Rider Replacement
Lewis Kerr 2',1,3,0,1'=7+2 (5)
Zach Cook 3,3,1,2',1'=10+2 (5)
Anders Rowe 3,2,2,0=7 (4)
Paul Starke R,1,1,1',2,3=8+1 (6)
William Cairns R,2,0,0,0,RS=2 (5)
.
Ht 1: R.Lawson, S.Masters, J.Hook, W.Cairns [rtd] 3-3 3-3 [60.73]
Ht 2: L.Killeen, W.Cairns, J.Knudsen [rtd], P.Starke [rtd] 3-2 6-5 [61.53]
Ht 3: Z.Cook, L.Kerr, M.McDiarmid, J.Jenkins [rtd] 1-5 7-10 [60.74]
Ht 4: A.Rowe, C.Heeps, J.Knudsen, W.Cairns 3-3 10-13 [60.26]
Ht 5: R.Lawson, J.Jenkins, P.Starke, M.McDiarmid 2-4 12-17 [61.33]
Ht 6: S.Masters, A.Rowe, P.Starke, J.Hook 3-3 15-20 [60.68]
Ht 7: Z.Cook, L.Killeen, L.Kerr, C.Heeps 2-4 17-24 [61.53]
Ht 8: L.Kerr, J.Knudsen, J.Hook, W.Cairns 3-3 20-27 [61.2]
Ht 9: S.Masters, A.Rowe, P.Starke, J.Jenkins, M.McDiarmid [Tac Subbed] 3-3 23-30 [60.75]
Ht 10: S.Masters, J.Hook, Z.Cook, L.Kerr 5-1 28-31 [60.31]
Ht 11: R.Lawson, L.Killeen, C.Heeps, W.Cairns 3-3 31-34 [60.99]
Ht 12: J.Knudsen, P.Starke, L.Kerr, J.Jenkins [fell exc] 3-3 34-37 [60.81]
Ht 13: C.Heeps, S.Masters, R.Lawson, A.Rowe 5-1 39-38 [59.84]
Ht 14: P.Starke, Z.Cook, L.Killeen, M.McDiarmid 1-5 40-43 [61.28]
Ht 15: S.Masters, R.Lawson, Z.Cook, C.Heeps 3-3 43-46 [59.13]

SGB Referee Phil Griffin
OXFORD won toss and deferred choice to heat 15; POOLE chose gates 1&3 |OXFORD choose gates 1&3 in heat 15
League Points: OXFORD 0 POOLE 3