SPEEDWAY: Cheetahs slide on race return (From The Oxford Times)

SPEEDWAY: Cheetahs slide on race return

10:21pm Monday 11th August 2008 in

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Oxford Cheetahs lost 50-43 out to Wimbledon Dons in their grand challenge match at Reading on Monday night, writes ROBERT PEASLEY.

However, an encouraging crowd of 700 turned up to see Cheetahs compete in a full 15-heat match for the first time since last October.

The TFSuccess.com Cheetahs got off to an excellent start with a 5-1 win from Jamie Courtney and 16-year-old Brendan Johnson.

Dons hit back with a 5-1 win of their own in heat two, but Kyle Hughes and Ben Hopwood then put Oxford back in front.

The Dons levelled matters once more in heat four, before Hughes took heat five.

Wimbledon moved ahead with back-to-back maximum heat advantages in heats seven and eight, and then Jay Herne and Mark Burrows (twice) won the following three races.

Hughes was nominated as a tactical ride in heat 12 and picked up six points to keep Cheetahs' hopes alive.

But a 5-1 win to Wimbledon in heat 13 clinched the match for the Dons.

Oxford: Courtney 6+2, Johnson 9+2, Hughes 17, Hopwood 4+1, Martin 5, Andrews 0, Wrathall 2. 43pts.

Wimbledon: Burrows 11+1, Day 8+1, Brown R/R, Wright 8, Herne 13+1, Baseby 4+1, Strudwick 6+1, Elliot 0. 50pts.