REPORT: Oxford v Poole

Poole preciously retained their unbeaten league record as they came from behind at Oxford to secure their second away draw of the season,

OXFORD 45
Sam Masters 2',3,2',3,3=13+2 (5)
Luke Killeen 3,0,2',3,3=11+1 (5)
Edward Kennett 0,NS,NS,NS=0 (1)
Anders Rowe 3,3,2,2,0=10 (5)
Rider Replacement
Dayle Wood 1',1,3,X0,0,1',0,RS=6+2 (7)
Darryl Ritchings 2,FD,0,X0,1,2,0=5 (7)

POOLE 45
Richard Lawson 1,1',2',1',2=7+3 (5)
Rider Replacement
Lewis Kerr 1',1,1,3=6+1 (4)
Cooper Rushen 2,0,2,0,1=5 (5)
Zach Cook 3,2,3,3,2,1'=14+1 (6)
Luke Harrison 3,2,1',1,0,3=10+1 (6)
Kyle Newman 0,0,2',1',RS=3+2 (4)

Ht 1: L.Killeen, S.Masters, R.Lawson, K.Newman 5-1 5-1 [60.5]
Ht 2: L.Harrison, D.Ritchings, D.Wood, K.Newman 3-3 8-4 [61.2]
Ht 3: A.Rowe, C.Rushen, L.Kerr, E.Kennett 3-3 11-7 [60.97]
Ht 4: Z.Cook, K.Newman, D.Wood, D.Ritchings [fell exc] 1-5 12-12 [awd]
Ht 5: A.Rowe, L.Harrison, R.Lawson, D.Ritchings, E.Kennett [NS] 3-3 15-15 [60.4]
Ht 6: S.Masters, Z.Cook, L.Harrison, L.Killeen 3-3 18-18 [61.12]
Ht 7: D.Wood, L.Killeen, L.Kerr, C.Rushen 5-1 23-19 [62.14]
Ht 8: L.Killeen, C.Rushen, K.Newman, D.Ritchings [exc] 3-3 26-22 [awd]
Ht 9: Z.Cook, A.Rowe, L.Harrison, D.Wood [exc], E.Kennett [NS] 2-4 28-26 [60.94]
Ht 10: L.Killeen, S.Masters, L.Kerr, C.Rushen 5-1 33-27 [61.75]
Ht 11: Z.Cook, R.Lawson, D.Ritchings, D.Wood 1-5 34-32 [60.96]
Ht 12: L.Kerr, D.Ritchings, D.Wood, L.Harrison, E.Kennett [NS] 3-3 37-35 [61.53]
Ht 13: S.Masters, Z.Cook, R.Lawson, D.Wood 3-3 40-38 [61.41]
Ht 14: L.Harrison, A.Rowe, C.Rushen, D.Ritchings 2-4 42-42 [62.22]
Ht 15: S.Masters, R.Lawson, Z.Cook, A.Rowe 3-3 45-45 [61.63]

SGB Referee Mr Phil Griffin

Poole found themselves on the back foot when Luke Killeen did what Luke Killeen does so well, gated and got clear. Lawson and Masters locked horns with one another but it was the man that had covered for Lawson on Wednesday that prevailed, taking advantage of a small but rare error from Lawson who lifted on the back straight. Guest Luke Harrison was fast away in het two whilst Newman battled furiously to join him at the front but again a small lift from Newman proved costly as both Cheetahs reserves passed him. Last term Pirate Anders Rowe quickly picked off both Lewis Kerr and Cooper Rushen to take the honours in heat three, a race that proved the end of Edward Kennett's weekend as he struggled round and subsequently withdrew with a wrist injury. Poole were back on level when Zach Cook and Kyle Newman both trapped well. In a bid to recover ground Dayle Wood fell, quickly remounting, a move that was to earn him a point eventually as Ritchings fell on the penultimate turn of the last lap. Rowe made it two from two as he eased by Harrison in heat five, whilst Lawson was not at his sharpest and had to work harder than he would have liked to better two-on-the-trot Ritchings. (15-15)

Leader Masters kept tempting Cook with possible openings but the Poole skipper couldn't quite make him pay, but Harrison holding out Killeen maintained the meetings' parity. A big opportunity for Poole though went begging in heat seven as Killeen followed Wood home with Kerr unable to impress. Killeen took the win in heat eight but Newman worked really hard to cement his heat sharing third place. At turn three on the final lap Ritchings attempted a desperate need and separated Newman from his machine, and although the replay was called for, the clear decision to disqualify Ritchings was reached. The referee was soon back at the monitor when Wood, finding himself upsides of Cook on the first lap of heat nine went down in a similar place to Newman's fall. From the terraces there was clear daylight between the two and evident that this was rider error, a view point confirmed by the replay. In the re-run Poole were heading for a potential 5-1 as Harrison was keeping Rowe hones whilst Cook led, but the pass came on lap three allowing Oxford to still lead in the meeting. That two point advantage was trebled when Killeen and Masters got the 5-1 over Kerr and Rushen in heat ten. (33-27)

Straight out with the tactical substitute and whilst it seemed an age before both Lawson and Cook (TS) passed the gating Ritchings, it was established within the first half a lap. Kerr then rode big in heat twelve to collect his only win of the night and there was a strong ride too, back in third, from Harrison but he couldn't quite hold off the mounting pressure of Ritchings, finding his route blocked for promotion himself, by Wood. It was Wood again who proved a thorn in Poole's side when he 

held up Lawson and Cook just long enough for Maters to create an unassailable advantage out front once the Poole bays to see the 'threes from the Wood!'

There was an inevitable switch of reserves for Poole in heat fourteen with Harrison stepping in for Newman (who once again had invested a lot of effort but with little reward) and it worked wonders, producing a win and, for three laps a potential 5-1 , but Rowe battled back and eventually found a way by Rushen. The 4-2 levelled the meeting. Poole would need to crack Masters' maximum if they were to come away with a win and on the unfavoured gates the instructions were simply 'avoid the last place' and that is precisely what Lawson and Cook achieve, keeping Rowe in check for another precious league point and second away draw of the season. 

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