GRESHAM Cheetahs already disappointing season in the top flight plunged to new depths when they lost 51-39 to Poole at the Stadium last night.

A heavily overwatered first turn caused mayhem in the opening heat where Cheetahs influential No 1 Jason Crump crashed when comfortably in the lead. On the second lap he hit a wet patch and took off into the fence suffereing a suspected broken collar bone and took no further part in the meeting.

The opposition were up in arms and former Cheetah Marvyn Cox said: "It's ridiculous at the first turn. It took three attempts to complete the first heat and that's crazy."

With both teams looking for their first points of the season, Cheetahs chance had gone yet it was nothing to do with the ability of the riders on the night, just poor track preparation.

Poole team boss Neil Street, grandfather of Crump said: "Naturally I'm glad we won, but it was a hollow victory. I'm more concerned about Oxford speedway. With Jason ,who can score 14 or 15 points a meeting, Oxford could well have won. What we had was something good out of somebody else's ill. It was terrible to begin with but in tne end the track was quite raceable."

When I put it to Oxford boss Steve Purchase that perhaps the track staff were hoping that the sun would dry the track out

, he replied that it was no excuse.

Meanwhile, Oxford's woe was rammed home by a brilliant performance from former Cheetah Mark Lemon as the 'Lemon Drop Kid' produced his best form ever in this country to ram home a superb paid 19 points and even the embarassment of falling whern he tried to pull a celebration wheelie failed to ruin his night. "I was just too tired after seven rides, but I had a point to prove after only scoring three points at Poole on Wednesday." He said. Paul Hurry again proved Cheetahs star with another fighting performance to top score with 15 points and was at his best when coming from the back to beat Lars Gunnestad in heat 13. Steve Johnston and skipper Steve Schofield tried to keep Cheetahs in the hunt, but mor e engine problems for Lawrence Hare and another below par display from Jan Steachmann were never enough to stop the Pirates plundering the points. Oxford: Hurry 15, Johnston 8+3, Schofield 8+1, Hare 5, Staechmann 3+1, Crump 0. 38 pts.

Poole: Lemon 18+1, Boyce 11+2, Sullivan 9, Cox 6+2, Gunnestad 6+1, Zetterstrom 1+1. 51 pts.

Heat details

Heat 1: (re-run) Boyce, Cox, Crump (f/exc), Staechmann (f/exc) 67.9 secs.

Heat 2: Schofield, Lemon, Zeterstrom, Hare (ret) 61.36.

Heat 3: Sullivan, Boyce, Hurry, Johnston 60.7.

Heat 4: Hurry, Gunnestad, Hare, Zetterstrom 60.5.

Heat 5: Johnston, Boyce, Cox, Schofield 60.8.

Heat 6: Lemon, Gunnestad, Staechmann, Hare (ret) 60.7.

Heat 7: Sullivan, Hurry, Johnston, Cox (e/f) 60.4.

Heat 8: Cox, Hare, Staechmann, Zetterstrom 60.4.

Heat 9: Hurry, Lemon, Johnston, Gunnestad 60.1.

Heat 10: Sulivan, Lemon, Staechmann, Hare 61.1.

Heat 11: Schofield, Boyce, Hurry, Cox 61.2.

Heat 12: Lemon, Hare, Johnston, Sullivan 61.0.

Heat 13: Hurry, Gunnestad, Boyce, Staechmann 60.7.

Heat 14: Lemon, Johnston, Schofield, Zetterstrom 60.8.

Heat 15: Lemon, Hurry, Boyce, Johnston 60.9.

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