OXFORD Cheetahs were unable to improve on their poor away record at Brandon last night as reigning Elite League champions Coventry maintained their late bid to hang on to the title with a 54-38 win.

The night hardly went according to plan for the visitors, with Davey Watt and Adam Shields only just arriving in time after traffic problems.

And then mechanical trouble for skipper Todd Wiltshire saw him excluded from the first heat for exceeding the two-minute allowance.

Coventry raced into a ten-point lead with three 5-1s in the first six races.

Cheetahs looked set to drop further behind in heat seven only to be handed a lifeline.

With Adam Skornicki on a tactical ride, Coventry held a 5-1 until the last lap when Martin Smolinski dropped a chain, and race leader Olly Allen fell on the final bend.

Skornicki had already fallen well behind and so was unable to exchange positions with David Howe, but Oxford still took a 7-1 from the race due to the dramatic late developments.

Then Oxford's lively Eric Andersson tangled with Billy Janniro, who was excluded.

Cheetahs took a 5-1 in the re-run to level the scores after eight races.

Coventry, however, rebuilt their lead and there was no way past skipper Scott Nicholls, who rattled up a six-ride paid maximum.

Watt's win in heat eight turned out to be Oxford's last of the night as Nicholls and Chris Harris dominated the closing stages.

The hosts made sure of their win when Harris and Smolinski both came from the back for a 5-1 in heat 14.

Coventry: Nicholls 17+1, Harris 12+3, Janniro 10+2, Allen 10, Smolinski 4+1, Allen 1, Schlein R/R. 54pts Oxford: Andersson 10+2, Wiltshire 8, Skornicki 6+1, Shields 5, Watt 4+1, Howe 4+1, Tomicek 1. 38pts.

HEAT DETAILS Heat 1: Nicholls, Janniro, Andersson, Watt, Wiltshire (exc, 2 mins). 59.9secs.

Heat 2: Andersson, Smolinski, Tomicek, Risager. 59.0.

Heat 3: Allen, Harris, Skornicki, Howe. 59.4.

Heat 4: Janniro, Shields, Andersson, Risager. 59.3.

Heat 5: Wiltshire, Allen, Harris, Watt. 58.8.

Heat 6: Nicholls, Janniro, Shields, Tomicek. 58.4.

Heat 7: Howe, Skornicki, Allen (f,rem), Smolinski (ret). 61.0.

Heat 8: Watt, Andersson, Risager, Janniro (f,exc). 60.3.

Heat 9: Harris, Shields, Allen, Tomicek. 58.0.

Heat 10: Nicholls, Janniro, Skornicki, Howe (ret). 58.8.

Heat 11: Nicholls, Wiltshire, Watt, Smolinski (f). 58.1.

Heat 12: Allen, Andersson, Howe, Smolinski. 61.0.

Heat 13: Nicholls, Wiltshire, Harris, Shields. 58.9.

Heat 14: Harris, Smolinski, Andersson, Skornicki. 60.9.

Heat 15: Nicholls, Harris, Wiltshire, Andersson. 59.1.