GRESHAM Oxford Cheetahs narrowly missed out on their first away league win when going down 47-43 to Kings Lynn in a thrilling battle at Saddlebow Road last night, despite the performance of the year from Aussie Steve Johnston.

There was a disappointing debut for Todd Wiltshire, who suffered from gremlins all night.

Cheetahs' new pairing of Jason Crump and Johnston earned a 4-2 in the first heat.

In heat two, Jan Staechmann had an awkward looking fall on the fourth bend of the first lap. In the rerun Steve Schofield was totally outgated to give the home team a 5-1 and put them in front. It was a lead they never lost.

Heat three saw the debut of Cheetahs' new signing Wiltshire.

However, nerves got the better of him and he touched the tapes, gaining an instant exclusion. Johnston won the heat and kept the gap at two points.

Heat four was a classic battle, with Simon Wigg charging away at the front and Paul Hurry tucked in behind, but the real battle was at the back with Staechmann and Ben Howe slogging it out for the entire four laps.

Two consecutive heat advantages for the Knights put them ten points up going into the interval, strangely held after heat seven.

Martin Goodwin then bought in Crump as a tactical substitute in heat eight and, together with Johnston, he bought Cheetahs' first 5-1 of the match.

Heat ten saw a Knights 5-1, with some Gollob style riding from the other Pole, Piotr Protasciewicz, nearly sending Wiltshire careering through the fence down the back straight.

The Crump/Johnston partnership delivered a second 5-1 in heat 11.

But the home side hit straight back in heat 12 leaving that ten-point gap once again.

Heat 13 was a classic battle, with two of the top Aussies, Crump and Shane Parker, battling it out at full pelt for a scintillating four laps. Once again it was Crump who finished ahead.

It was all over after a three all in heat 14.

But that pairing of Crump and Johnston delivered the goods once again in heat 15 with a perfectly executed 5-1 to leave the large band of travelling supporters happy. Kings Lynn: S Parker 14, P Protasciewicz 6+2, B Brhel 5+3, S Wigg 10, T Topinka 9, B Howe 3+1. 47.

Oxford: J Crump 16+1, S Johnston 16+2, T Wiltshire 1, P Hurry 6, S Schofield 1, J Staechmann 3+2. 43.

HEAT DETAILS

Heat 1: Crump, Parker, Johnston, Protasciewicz 62.7. Heat 2: Topinka, Howe, Schofield, Staechmann (f) 63.7. Heat 3: Johnston, Protasciewicz, Brhel, Schofield, Wiltshire (ex) 63.7. Heat 4: Wigg, Hurry, Staechmann, Howe 64.5. Heat 5: Parker, Johnston, Brhel, Staechmann (ef) 64.1. Heat 6: Parker, Protasciewicz, Hurry, Schofield 64.1. Heat 7: Wigg, Crump, Topinka, Wiltshire 64.9. Heat 8: Crump, Johnston, Howe, Protasciewicz (f) 63.4. Heat 9: Wigg, Hurry, Staechmann, Brhel 64.1. Heat 10: Parker, Protasciewicz, Wiltshire, Hurry 64.1. Heat 11: Johnston, Crump, Wigg, Topinka 64.3. Heat 12: Topinka, Brhel, Staechmann, Wiltshire 64.6. Heat 13: Crump, Parker, Hurry, Wigg (ex) 65.2. Heat 14: Johnston, Topinka, Brhel, Hurry 65.0. Heat 15: Crump, Johnston, Parker, Topinka 65.4.

Youth Development League: Kings Lynn 20, Oxford 16.

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