Oxford 44, Ipswich 46

OXFORD Cheetahs provided an exciting finale to a disappointing season when they just missed out against the Elite Speedway League champions Ipswich in a superb night's racing at Oxford Stadium.

In the end, the Witches proved to be just too strong, with the Cheetahs putting up a valiant fight despite the fact that Australian No 1 Jason Crump had clearly not fully recovered from the shoulder he dislocated in the Polish Grand Prix.

Heat one showed that it was going to be a night of heart-stopping action.

Ipswich's Chris Louis made a thunderous gate to lead, with Crump and Steve Johnston close on his tail. However, the British Under 21 Champion Scott Nicholls stormed underneath 'Johnno' on the third bend and was lining up Crump.

On the next lap, Louis shed a chain and fell right into Crump's path. The Aussie ace took avoiding action, but Nicholls had dived underneath him to give the Witches victory.

It was nip and tuck in the early heats, but in heat ten the Thomas Gollob/Tony Rickardsson pairing inflicted a 5-1 over Cheetahs, which was followed up in heat 11 by a 4-2.

Suddenly Cheetahs were six points down, with no easy heats to come. However, they were about to show the champions what they were made of.

Nobody gave the Cheetahs pairing of Todd Wiltshire and Jan Staechmann much hope against world champion Rickardsson. But Wiltshire made a superb gate and led the world champion down the back straight. As the pair entered the third turn, Jan Staechmann rode a brave corner to overtake Rickardsson, and suddenly the Cheetahs were on for a 5-1.

As the crowd went wild, Rickardsson used every inch of the grippy Sandy Lane circuit but could find no way past the Oxford duo, who team rode to perfection.

A fall in heat 13 for Paul Hurry saw Crump succumb to Louis and Gollob, and a 3-3 in heat 14 sealed Cheetahs' fate, as the Witches clocked up their first league win of the year at Sandy Lane.

Cheetahs saved the best for last, as Wiltshire and Crump scorched away in the final heat to end the season on a high note. Oxford: Wiltshire 13+2, Crump 11, Staechmann 6+3, Hurry 6+1, Johnston 5+2, Schofield 3. 44pts.

Ipswich: Louis 8+1, Nicholls 4+1, Rickardsson 12+1, Gollob 14+1, Clouting 0, Svab 9. 46pts.

HEAT DETAILS

Heat 1: Nicholls, Crump, Johnston, Louis (f) 61.11 secs. Heat 2: Schofield, Svab, Staechmann, Clouting 60.21. Heat 3: Rickardsson, Wiltshire, Hurry, Nicholls 58.30. Heat 4: Gollob, Hurry, Svab, Staechmann (f) (award). Heat 5: Wiltshire, Louis, Nicholls, Schofield 58.27. Heat 6: Gollob, Crump, Johnston, Clouting 58.80. Heat 7: Louis, Rickardsson, Hurry, Schofield 58.59. Heat 8: Johnston, Staechmann, Svab, Clouting (f-ex), Nicholls (ex-two min) 59.98. Heat 9: Gollob, Crump, Wiltshire, Clouting 58.65. Heat 10: Rickardsson, Gollob, Crump, Johnston 58.55. Heat 11: Svab, Hurry, Louis, Staechmann 59.05. Heat 12: Wiltshire, Staechmann, Rickardsson, Clouting 59.59. Heat 13: Gollob, Louis, Crump, Hurry (f) 58.78. Heat 14: Rickardsson, Wiltshire, Staechmann, Svab 58.96. Heat 15: Crump, Wiltshire, Svab, Rickardsson, Louis (ex-2 min) 59.37.

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