OXFORD Cheetahs’ new recruits announced their arrivals in style as they led their team to victory on the Isle of Wight.

Connor Coles and Charley Powell only came in as replacements for the injured Nathan Stoneman and James Laker for round two, but collected 14 and 12+1 respectively to top-score for Gordon Kennett’s men.

It saw Cheetahs finish ten points ahead of Cradley Heath, with the Isle of Wight a point further back, catapulting them back into contention for the Cliff Peasley 3TT Trophy.

The final round at the Smallbrook Stadium in Ryde takes place a week tomorrow, with the host team leading the standings on 67 and Oxford seven behind.

Powell made his intentions clear with a fantastic ride in heat two, up against the Isle of Wight’s Danno Verge.

The home rider had scored a 15-point maximum two weeks before but he was defeated by the Cheetahs man, while skipper Ryan Terry-Daley claimed third to give his side a 4-2 heat advantage.

Oxford shared 3-3 results in their next five outings and Coles dropped his only point of the evening off the 15-metre handicap in heat eight.

Even then, he managed to haul in Verge with two laps left, but could not quite make a move stick.

Coles handed the Isle of Wight’s Chad Wirtzfeld his only defeat of the evening in heat ten, while Jamie Sealey’s pass on Jamie Evans sealed a 4-2 and set-up a thrilling finale.

Powell and Terry-Daley were only getting better and 5-1 wins over Cradley Heath in heats 11 and 13 stamped their authority.

Coles and Verge were involved in an excellent tussle in race 14 as the latter took advantage of his opponent’s mistake on the second bend, before the Cheetahs man swept around his rival on the fourth bend of lap three.

The son of former Oxford rider Michael Coles, he was pleased with his night’s work.

Coles said: “We all had a good meeting. We were given a few tough races, but I’m glad we got the win.

“I made a little mistake in my last race and Danno Verge got through and he made me work hard before I could get back through and win the race.

“I was a bit gutted he beat me when I was starting off 15 metres when we met earlier, but he held me off in that one.

“It’s nice to get the chance to ride for Oxford, one of my dad’s speedway clubs.

“What I would enjoy even more is the chance to race around the Oxford track.

“I have seen the news about them possibly coming back and I’d love to see Oxford Speedway reopen and be able to ride around there.”

Cheetahs have 60 points and are sandwiched between Isle of Wight, on 67, and Cradley Heath, who have 53.

Final scores

Oxford: Ryan Terry-Daley 8+3, Charley Powell 12+1, Connor Coles 14, Jamie Sealey 3+1. Total: 37 points.

Isle Of Wight: Chad Wirtzfeld 14, Jamie Evans 0, Danno Verge 12, Morgan Williams 0. Total: 26 points.

Cradley Heath: Luke Harris 10, Chris Watts 5+3, Kelsey Dugard 9+1, Chris Widman 3+2. Total: 27 points.