JT/FOX Oxford Cheetahs are sitting pretty at the top of the Sky Sports Elite League, but promoter Vanessa Purchase is remaining very cautious at the halfway stage of the season.

Many Oxford fans think Cheetahs can only lose the title now after being in such a good position, with main rivals Ipswich being hit by terrible injuries to Chris Louis and Scott Nicholls.

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Purchase has, in fact, banned all title-winning talk.

She said: "There is still a long way to go and anything can happen - just look at Ipswich - so I don't want to hear any talk of us winning the league at this stage."

And she may be right, because Cheetahs have some tough away fixtures to come.

However, they have built a real fortess at Cowley, dropping only one point in all 12 home meetings this season, and that's the main reason why the crowds have been up this year.

In fact, the success of the team has brought club owner Steve Purchase out of the shadows. He has been present at the last three meetings, although he still admits he is not the ideal front man for Cheetahs.

An estimated 2,000 crowd saw Cheetahs destroy a limping Ipswich, who tried to take on a near full-strength Cheetahs with their main strikeforce missing.

It was like Oxford going into the meeting without Leigh Adams and Brian Andersen.

Oxford still have to go to Ipswich twice, Poole, Coventry and King's Lynn, just five meetings where they will be up against it.

Take in Wolverhampton, who hammered Cheetahs at Monmore earlier in the season, and you can see the title is far from cut and dried, though they probably have enough in hand for a bonus point in the B return fixtures at Ipswich and at King's Lynn.

Their next meeting is at Belle Vue next Wednesday, and that is followed by the return at Oxford two days later when they will be hoping to flush out another five points in their quest for the title.