Oxford Cheetahs 43,Ipswich Witches 47 ANOTHER home defeat for Cheetahs at the hands of the Ipswich Witches last night has set the alarm bells ringing as they continue to struggle in speedway's Elite League, writes LEON HILL.

It followed defeat against Ipswich by the same scoreline at Foxhall Heath on Wednesday night and leaves them languishing in the lower reaches of the table.

Oxford had the worst possible start when Greg Hancock easily won the first heat and with Jan Andersen getting ahead of Lukas Dryml, it was an early heat advantage for the Witches.

Things went from bad to worse in the next with another Witches 4-2 thanks to veteran Jeremy Doncaster, who showed once again that he was going to be the thorn in the Cheetahs side.

Toni Svab and Matej Ferjan then claimed maximum points in heat three and Cheetahs were already eight points down. A shared heat followed, but after four races Cheetahs had not provided a single heat winner.

Brian Andersen and Steve Johnston regained some pride in heat five with a superb maximum heat win, but their joy was short-lived as the Witches hit straight back in the next race to restore the eight-point advantage.

Tactical substitute Andersen then helped Jimmy Nilsen to Cheetahs' second maximum heat win, but only after some spectacular action, with Andersen picking up some unbelievable grip on the pits bend and hurtling towards the fence on his back wheel.

Somehow he recovered, but this had allowed Svab to slip underneath him. The Axeman was in no mood to be trifled with however, and fought his way back to claim the maximum points. Heat eight saw Cheetahs gain a 4-2, with Mark Lemon making a spectacular start from the outside gate, but the Witches pulled away again in heat 11 with a maximum to move back to six points ahead.

Another blistering start from Lemon in heat 12 saw the gap closed to just four points with three heats to go and Cheetahs looked to have the advantage in heat 13 as Todd Wiltshire and Nilsen trapped first to hold a maximum heat advantage which would have squared the match .

However, an unforced error from the two Cheetahs heat leaders allowed Greg Hancock to shoot past them and pick up the heat win.

With Lemon making his third lightning gate and Johnston tucking in behind him, the scores were level going into heat 15, but Ipswich sealed it when Hancock and Ferjan leapt from the gate to deny the efforts of Wiltshire.

Oxford: Wiltshire 8, L Dryml 1, Andersen 7+3, Johnston 7+1, Nilsen 7+1, A Dryml 1+1, Lemon 12+1. 47 pts.

Ipswich: Louis r/r, Andersen 1,Svab 4+1, Ferjan 12, Hancock 16+2, Doncaster 13+1, Neath 1. 47 pts.