Skipper Craig Branney and Chris Mills outgunned the Stoke Spitfires to keep the Oxford Silver Machine Academy on course for the title with a 53-43 speedway victory at Oxford Stadium last night,.

Needing an eight-point margin to take the bonus point, they had to work hard in the early stages, but once Mills and Branney got cracking there was no hope for the visitors, despite using all their tactical options.

Branney notched 15 and Mills paid 15, while there was good support from Jamie Courtney (11) and Kyle Hughes, who recovered from being excluded for a faulty exhaust, to score paid nine points.

The pair were on the end of a Stoke 5-1 in the final heat as Mills fell, but by then it was all over.

Oxford: C Branney 15, Mills 12+3, Courtney 11, Hughes 8+2, J Branney 4 +1, Martin 3. 53pts.

Stoke: Priest 13, Hargreaves 11, Evans 11, Irving 5, Grant 3, Isherwood 0, Flint 0. 43pts.