Oxford v Plymouth, CLKOC, Sunday July 8, 7.30pm

[Genghis]

The Devils will prove a much sterner test to the Cheetahs than Buxton last week.

However, I believe we now have enough strength in the squad, to win tomorrow's match. Ideally we need at least a 8-10 point lead to take down to South Devon for the second leg.

The Genghis prediction: Oxford 52 Plymouth 40.

A match well worthing seeing, come down to Cowley tommorrow.

All the best
Rob

[Deleted]

A fine evenings entertainment with some good racing, sadly an injury to Kyle Hughes marred an enjoyable nights racing.
fog

[Genghis]

Sunday, July 8, 2007
OXFORD CHEETAHS 45 PLYMOUTH DEVILS 44
(Conference League Knockout Cup, quarter-final, 1st leg)

Oxford did well to rally and win this match on a night where most of the luck went against the Cheetahs.

Somerset reached the final of the Premier League Fours at Peterborough, depriving the Cheetahs use of Jordan Frampton. Rider replacement was used for Frampton, with Sam Martin used as No. 8.

The meeting started with two shared races, with Seemond Stephens winning the opener, while Oxford's 15-year-old Brendan Johnson posted an impressive win over Ben Hopwood in Heat 2.

Heat 3 was eventful. Firstly, Jamie Westacott was excluded after a fall on the opening turn, then in the re-run, Kyle Hughes fell while looking for a way past Tom Brown. It left a match-race between Andrew Bargh and Brown, which Brown stole after Bargh's bike developed a fault.

Tim Webster nudged the tapes in Heat 4 and was replaced by Hopwood. Martin won the race, while the battling Johnson while looking for a route past Hopwood.

Heat 5 was shared, while after an exclusion under the two-minute allowance for Danny Betson in Heat 6, that race also finished as a 3-3, with Lee Smethills the race winner.

Plymouth increased their lead to 3 points with a 4-2 in Heat 7, with Martin passing Westacott on lap 3 to avoid a 5-1 to the Devils.

Betson and Johnson held a 5-1 early in Heat 8, but Legg came past Johnson on lap 2, and the race finished as a 4-2 to Oxford.

Bargh led Glanz in Heat 9, while Hughes thrust inside Hopwood on the back straight to take third. However, there was then a clash of bikes entering the third bend, and both Hughes & Hopwood came down. Ronnie Allan excluded Hughes, which appeared to be the wrong decision, while Hughes was down on the track in obvious pain. He was eventually taken from the track, with a suspected broken metatarsal (foot). Bargh cut under Glanz to win the re-run.

Heat 10 was shared, before Smethills came in as a R/R ride in Heat 11 and beat opposing skipper Stephens. The ever-trying Johnson took a fall while chasing Legg.

Bargh & Johnson were leading in Heat 12, when Johnson dropped a primary chain, and a fortunate Brown and Hopwood came through for the 3-3, as the Devils stayed a single point ahead.

Stephens won Heat 13, despite a determined challenge from Bargh.

Heat 14 looked good for Plymouth, as Westacott and Webster got out, but Johnson flew around Webster, who then fell on the first bend of lap 2. With Dan Blake taking avoiding action, the race was stopped, which was lucky on Westacott whose bike gave way at that moment. In the re-run, Johnson led and Blake steamed under Westacott on the opening lap to take second place. But Westacott hit back on the third bend of the final bend, and held on, despite a challenge from Blake off the final bend. Nevertheless, the 4-2 to Oxford put the Cheetahs in front for the first time on the night.

The final race saw Brown win an opening lap battle with Smethills, but with Bargh a comfortable third ahead of Stephens, the Cheetahs had held on by the narrowest of margins.

The second leg of this cup tie takes place at Plymouth this coming Friday (July 13) and the Cheetahs will need to take a draw or better to progress to the semi-finals.

OXFORD CHEETAHS 45
Lee Smethills 11+3 (6), Danny Betson 7 (3), Andrew Bargh 13+1 (6), Kyle Hughes 1+1 (3), Jordan Frampton (R/R), Dan Blake 1 (3), Brendan Johnson 7 (7), Sam Martin (No.8) 5 (2). Team manager: Peter Oakes.

PLYMOUTH DEVILS 44
Seemond Stephens 11 (5), Billy Legg 3+1 (4), Tom Brown 14 (5), Jamie Westacott 3 (4), Nicki Glanz 6 (4), Ben Hopwood 6+4 (5), Tim Webster 1+1 (4). Team manager: Derek Davey.

1: Stephens (P), Betson (O), Smethills (O), Legg (P), 61.93 (3-3).
2: Johnson (O), Hopwood (P), Webster (P), Blake (O), 62.43 (6-6).
3: (Re-run twice) Brown (P), Bargh (O), Hughes (O) (fell, excluded), Westacott (P) (fell, excluded), 62.46 (8-9).
4: (Re-run) Martin (O) (R/R), Glanz (P), Hopwood (P), Johnson (O) (fell), Webster (P) (excluded, touched tapes), 62.49 (11-12).
5: Stephens (P), Bargh (O), Hughes (O), Legg (P), 62.11 (14-15).
6: Smethills (O), Glanz (P), Hopwood (P), Johnson (O), Betson (O) (excluded, two minutes), 63.20 (17-18).
7: Brown (P), Martin (O) (R/R), Westacott (P), Blake (O) (fell), 63.74 (19-22).
8: Betson (O), Legg (P), Johnson (O), Webster (P), 63.49 (23-24).
9: (Re-run) Bargh (O), Glanz (P), Hopwood (P), Hughes (O) (fell, excluded), 63.30 (26-27).
10: Brown (P), Betson (O), Smethills (O), Westacott (P) (ret), 62.96 (29-30).
11: Smethills (O) (R/R), Stephens (P), Legg (P), Johnson (O) (fell, remounted, ret), 62.99 (32-33).
12: Bargh (O), Brown (P), Hopwood (P), Johnson (O) (ret), 62.81 (35-36).
13: Stephens (P), Bargh (O) (R/R), Smethills (O), Glanz (P), 62.71 (38-39).
14: (Re-run) Johnson (O), Westacott (P), Blake (O), Webster (P) (fell, excluded), 64.61 (42-41).
15: Brown (P), Smethills (O), Bargh (O), Stephens (P), 63.40 (45-44).


All the best
Rob

[Genghis]

Andrew Bargh was voted as Oxford's Rider Of The Night, after top-scoring in the 45-44 win over Plymouth.

Bargh was handed the Linda De Boise Memorial Trophy by the fans who decided tonight's winner, Debbi Hawes and Andrew De Boise.

Different fans will be chosen to pick and award the trophy each week.


All the best
Rob

[admin]

Thanks, as ever, to young Peasley for the report. That's what I like to see - a good close meeting. Even if the racing is dull, a close scoreline keeps it interesting. And it looks like it was an eventful enough meeting as it was.