Oxford Cheetahs raced to a thrilling 47-43 final-heat Elite League victory over Wolves at Monmore Green on Monday night, but they had to do it the hard way.

Sam ErmolenkoThings looked grim for the champions at the start of the meeting when the Wolves were walking all over them.

Cheetahs were ten points down after just three heats and another disappointing night looked on the cards for Oxford fans.

The tide turned slightly in heat four when Mark Lemon made an electric gate to lead Paul Hurry and Chris Neath. Guest Sam Ermolenko held a comfortable third but got caught in a final-bend melee and allowed Hurry to squeeze past him right on the line.

Leigh Adams and Lukas Dryml notched Cheetahs' first heat advantage in the next, but Lemon was unable to repeat his heroics in heat six and despite a good win for Ermolenko, there was no change in the scoreline.

The Oxford management moved quickly to introduce a tactical substitute in heat seven and Adams teamed up with Steve Johnston to clinch Cheetahs' first maximum heat advantage of the night, cutting the Wolves' lead to just four points.

That's the way it stayed in the next two heats, but heat ten proved to be disastrous as Johnston was totally outgated and could not get back on terms.

Oxford seemed to have played their tactical substitutes perfectly by bringing in Johnston for heat 11. A 4-2 looked in the bag, only for Johnston to fall on the second bend.

Heat 12 provided the race of the night, as Ermolenko came in as a tactical substitute to partner Johnston. Ermolenko made a lightning start and Johnston joined him off the second bend, holding off a determined Hurry to cut the gap to four points.

Another maximum in the next was made to look easy by the two classiest riders on display, Adams and Ermolenko, to square the match with just two heats to go.

Heat 14 saw Lukas Dryml make his first decent start of the night and he had the race in his pocket. However, engine problems coming off the final bend allowed Adam Skornicki to grab the win on the line and keep the scores level going into the final heat.

Cheetahs piinned their faith in Adams and Ermolenko, and they did not let the team down with an easy tapes-to-flag maximum.

Wolves: David Howe 10+2, Jason Lyons 11, Adam Skornicki 10, Paul Hurry 5+2, Jesper Jensen 3+2, Chris Neath 4+1. 43pts.

Oxford: Leigh Adams 16+1, Sam Ermolenko 14+1, Steve Johnston 6+2, Mark Lemon 6+2, Lukas Dryml 5, Andrew Appleton 0. 47pts.