Oxford 46, Swindon 44

OXFORD Cheetahs' speedway ace Jason Crump was involved in a punch-up with one of his own teammates before they snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in the final heat of a thrilling derby clash last night.

Crump appeared to thump his fellow Cheetah Todd Wiltshire following an incident in heat three which had the fans in uproar at the pits bend.

It appeared a pure racing incident, but Crump didn't see it that way after being put in the fence by his fellow countryman, who in turn had been forced wide by George Stancl.

As Wiltshire came back to the pits to get ready for the re-run from which Crump had been excluded, he was met by Crump who threw a punch at his teammate.

The crash left Crump with a swollen ankle and he pulled out of the meeting one ride later.

Referee Graham Flint, who, if he had wished, could see the incident in full on video, failed to take any action against the No 1 as he didn't actually see what happened - yet the recording was within feet of his chair.

Oxford boss Steve Purchase offered no comment except to say "I will take the appropiate action aif necessary after seeking advice."

Thankfully, the meeting clalmed down after that. On paper, it looked like a cakewalk for Cheetahs. After all, the Robins had three of their top-liners out, and only Stancl as it proved, was a fair substitute. However, once Crump left the fold after three rides, things began to even out.

Wiltshire certainly won't forget his home debut in a hurry. He finished the meeting with paid nine points and it won't be long before he gets back to his best.

He showed his famous gating skills in heat five and was soon joined by Steve Johnston who had a fantastic night for Cheetahs. They grabbed a 5- 1 over Jimmy Nilsen and Shaun Tacey to establish a two point lead and it was Johnston again in heat eight as he passed leader David Walsh to team up with Jan Steachmann for another maximum.

Heat 10 saw Cheetahs increase their advantage after Stancl took a nasty looking fall when team mate Walsh caused mayhem coming out of the second bend. The Czech rider took time to recover and had to renew his front wheel before battling back for second behind the impressive Johnston again.

Seemingly coasting with a 37-29 lead, Cheetahs looked to have blown it when the Robins hit back with two successive 5-1s.

It clooked curtains for the home side as Swindon took a 43-41 lead into the final heat with the in-form Nilsen and Adams to come. But Johnston and Paul Hurry took up the challenge and saw Cheetahs home.

Oxford: Johnston 15, Hurry 9+2, Wiltshire 7+2, Staechmann 6+2, Hare 5, Crump 4+1. 46 pts.

Swindon: Adams 15, Stancl 13, Nilsen 11, Walsh 4, Tacey 1, Kosonen 0. 44 pts

HEAT DETAILS

Heat 1: Crump, Nilsen, Johnston, Tacey 57.8 secs. Heat 2: Staechmann, Hare, Walsh, Kosonen (e/f) 58.6. Heat 3: (re-run) Stancle, Nilsen, Wiltshire, Crump (f/exc) 58.9. Heat 4: Adams, Walsh, Staechmann, Hurry (e/f) 58.3. Heat 5: Johnston, Wiltshire, Nilsen, Tacey (e/f) 59.1. Heat 6: Adams, Johnston, Crump, Kosonen (exc 2 mins) 58.1. Heat 7: Stancl, Hare, Hurry, Adams 59.0. Heat 8: Johnston, Staechmann, Tacey, Walsh 59.6. Heat 9: Adams, Hurry, Wiltshire, Kosonen (exc 2 mins) 58.2. Heat 10: (re-run) Johnston, Stancl, Staechmann, Walsh (exc) 59.55. Heat 11: Hurry, Adams, Nilsen, Hare 59.3. Heat 12: Nilsen, Stancl, Wilshire, Staechmann 59.4. Heat 13: Adams, Nilsen, Hurry, Staechmann 59.9. Heat 14: Stancl, Wiltshire, Walsh, Hare (e/f) 60.2. Heat 15: Johnston, Hurry, Adams, Nilsen 60.3.

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