REPORT: Oxford Cheetahs v Poole Pirates

15/04/26

This penultimate BSN Series group fixture for Poole proved to be far more problematical than that experienced in previous visits to the Cowley circuit. Unfavourable weather conditions clearly played a hand in making the track slick and, like Richard Lawson managed on a couple of occasions, if you missed the gate then there was scant opportunity to make up for lost ground.

All too frequently in the early stages, especially, Poole were second best off the starts, but in heat two Cooper Rushen applied plenty of effort in trying to hunt down Darryl Ritchings but his invested energy was all in vain.

As a man, Oxford were making light work of the Pirates and most untypically it took Poole seven heats before being able to boast a race winner.

Lewis Kerr took the honours but for the fourth time of the night a shared heat was chalked up leaving Oxford's two 5-1 advantages and a 4-2 as the ten point difference between the sides.

If Kerr's win was supposed to revitalise the Pirates it backfired for Luke Killeen and a best-ever performance from Dayle Wood combined in heat eight to extend the lead to fourteen points. Zach Cook joined Lewi on the 'honours board' with a race win of his own, beating Anders Rowe and Mitch McDiarmid, the latter having looked useful in his first two rides. A frantic period during the flashing amber light left Killeen out of time but his disqualification harmed Oxford none as they drafted in that man Wood and again he produced the goods, following home Masters, although his route home was made that much easier as the Poole boys were both fighting each other for the precise same piece of track in their quest. (39-21)

Something radical was needed and so team manager Dan Ford switched Kyle Newman for the skipper in heat eleven. First attempt Zach was caught up in traffic but fortuitously a Ritchings fall when under challenge by Cook entering the third turn caused the race to be stopped and handed Zach as second chance, with Ritchings disqualified. He keenly accepted it and saw off Oxford's guest Justin Sedgmen (in for the sick Erik Riss) to be able to comfortably follow Lawson round. At last a Poole heat advantage, but was the comeback too late? With Rowe winning heat twelve it became apparent it was but Lawson out-trapped Masters in heat thirteen and even the Oxford number one found the going tough when trying to chase. Nevertheless he did split the Poole pair, limiting us to a 4-2, that deficit shrinking slowly to 12 points. Hopes of getting it into single figures suffered a blow when Ritchings nipped out the start to lead. It became a tapes to flag win under chase from Rushen who had a clearer run after Mitch McDiarmid suffered misfortune, having made a rare genuine pass coming off turn two only for his bike to pack up at the end of the straight. Masters made no mistake in heat fifteen and took the win from Cook and Lawson with Rowe at the rear and so Oxford posted their first BSN group points of the season. The meeting was far from being a classic but with the Cheetahs start to the campaign having been unexpectedly interrupted, at least the meeting went ahead.

OXFORD 51
Sam Masters 3,3,3,2,3=14 (5)
Luke Killeen 2',0,3,N2=5+1 (3)
Anders Rowe 1,3,2,3,0=9 (5)
Mitch McDiarmid 3,2',1',R=6+2 (4)
Justin Sedgmen 0,2,1,0=3 (4)
Darryl Ritchings 0,1',FD,3=4+1 (4)
Dayle Wood 3,3,2',2',0=10+2 (5)
.
POOLE 39
Richard Lawson 0,1,3,3,1'=8+1 (5)
Kyle Newman 1,0,0,TS=1 (3)
Lewis Kerr 2,3,0,2=7 (4)
Fraser Bowes 0,0,1,1'=2+1 (4)
Zach Cook 1',2,3,2',1,2=11+2 (6)
William Cairns 1',1',0,1'=3+3 (4)
Cooper Rushen 2,2,1,2=7 (4)
.
Ht 1: S.Masters, L.Killeen, K.Newman, R.Lawson 5-1 5-1 [60.71]
Ht 2: D.Wood, C.Rushen, W.Cairns, D.Ritchings 3-3 8-4 [61.37]
Ht 3: M.McDiarmid, L.Kerr, A.Rowe, F.Bowes 4-2 12-6 [61.5]
Ht 4: D.Wood, C.Rushen, Z.Cook, J.Sedgmen 3-3 15-9 [61.59]
Ht 5: A.Rowe, M.McDiarmid, R.Lawson, K.Newman 5-1 20-10 [61.48]
Ht 6: S.Masters, Z.Cook, W.Cairns, L.Killeen 3-3 23-13 [61.48]
Ht 7: L.Kerr, J.Sedgmen, D.Ritchings, F.Bowes 3-3 26-16 [61.96]
Ht 8: L.Killeen, D.Wood, C.Rushen, K.Newman 5-1 31-17 [62.72]
Ht 9: Z.Cook, A.Rowe, M.McDiarmid, W.Cairns 3-3 34-20 [61.29]
Ht 10: S.Masters, D.Wood, F.Bowes, L.Kerr, L.Killeen[exc 2 mins] 5-1 39-21 [62.66]
Ht 11: R.Lawson, Z.Cook, J.Sedgmen, D.Ritchings [fell exc], K.Newman [Tac Subbed] 1-5 40-26 [60.06]
Ht 12: A.Rowe, L.Kerr, W.Cairns, D.Wood 3-3 43-29 [61.71]
Ht 13: R.Lawson, S.Masters, Z.Cook, J.Sedgmen 2-4 45-33 [62.01]
Ht 14: D.Ritchings, C.Rushen, F.Bowes, M.McDiarmid [rtd] 3-3 48-36 [62.63]
Ht 15: S.Masters, Z.Cook, R.Lawson, A.Rowe 3-3 51-39 [61.6]

SGB Referee Mr Mick Bates