Oxford Silver Machine 42, Coventry Bees 52: Hopes that the Silver Machine had turned the corner with the return of Billy Hamill were swatted away by the Coventry Bees at Oxford Stadium last night.

The home team were weakened, but so were the Bees, and they had the far better resources to call on.

They were never in any real danger of losing all night as they called the tune to win comfortably.

Both teams showed changes, with Oxford missing Renat Gafurov, who was in a Russian League match, and Tomasz Bajerski, who dropped an engine on his foot while walking through an airport.

The Bees were without No 1 Andreas Jonsson and the injured Martin Smolinski.

Conference League rider Chris Mills came in for Gafurov and Brent Werner for Bajerski.

With the Oxford reserve strength severely weakened and Henka Gustafsson suffering a dreadful night, they couldn't find an answer to a Coventry side whose reserves included Oxford asset Emil Kramer and England international Chris Harris.

The 'battle of the reserves' went to the Bees 21-4, so in effect, Oxford were undone by their own rider!

Twice the Silver Machine were holding 5-1 advantages but were forced to settle for 3-3s as a tricky track posed problems for several riders.

It all started so promisingly as Greg Hancock won the opener, with Travis McGowan pulling a smart third place on the line over Tomas Topinka.

But the Machine were up against it from then on as Billy Janniro found the track to his liking.

Scott Nicholls had problems in his first ride but thereafter looked a class rider and stopped Hamill winning three on the trot in heat 11.

Soon after the break it looked all over as Janniro led Gustafsson with Harris in third. However, the latter came with a storming run on the outside of Gustfasson to wrap up another 5-1 and force team manager Nigel Wagstaff to make Hancock's a tactical ride in heat 13.

It looked difficult up against Nicholls, and so it proved as the England No 1 wiped the floor with Hancock and Hamill, who had to pass Topinka to save even further damage.

The tactical rule was tried again heat 14 with Niels Kristian Iversen carrying the hopes of the home side, but Harris was soon in control and hard as Iversen tried, there was no way back for the home side.

Oxford: Hancock 13, Hamill 9+1, Iversen 8, McGowan 6, Mills 2+1, Gustafsson 2, Werner 2. 42 pts.

Coventry: Harris 14, Janniro 13, Nicholls 12, Kramer 7, Topinka 4, Risager 2. 52pts.