Cheetahs go down at Coventry.

A fine performance by Oxford reserve Eric Andersson was not enough to save the Cheetahs from defeat at Coventry last Friday night in their penultimate away league match of the season.

On only his second-ever first to the track, the young Swede scored paid 12 from seven outings. and his performance was even more impressive, considering the fact that he was the innocent party in a Heat 8 crash when Coventry's American No.2 Billy Janniro ran into the back of him, wrecking Eric's No.1 bike in the process. Although shaken up, Eric was able to continue, switching to his spare machine for the rest of the meeting. Meanwhile, Oxford captain Todd Wiltshire recovered from a two-minute exclusion in Heat 1 to weigh in with 8 points.

The Bees, chasing a top four placing in the league which would see them qualify for the play offs for the title, were soon control of the fixture, racing into a 23-13 lead, before in a mid-match revival, the Cheetahs took a 7-1 & a 5-1 from Heats 7 & 8 to level the scores at 25-25. However, with British Champion Scott Nicholls in irresistible form, and well backed by Chris Harris, Billy Janniro & Chris Harris, Coventry had too much firepower for Oxford in the closing stages.

A delay, caused by an unfortunate accident involving Rye House Rocket reserve Adam Roynon in heat 8 of their Premier League match v the Isle of Wight, meant that the proposed Rye House v Oxford Gresham Academy Southern Area Junior League match, that was scheduled to follow, was not staged on Saturday night and will now have to be rearranged.

Putting behind them that disappointment, The Gresham Academy won by a maximum 30-6 scoreline at Sittingbourne on Sunday to move to the top of the Southern Area Junior League table. Home victories against Swindon this coming Wednesday and the following week against Rye House will secure the league title.

Cheetahs David Howe made the long journey to Slovenia to race in the "Golden Helmet of Lindava" meeting on Saturday. After an engine failure in his first ride, he recorded a win and a second place before heavy rain caused the meeting to be abandoned after just 12 heats.

On Saturday at Tarnow in Poland, Cheetahs No.8 Stanislaw Burza rode in the "Tony Rickardsson Final Lap" match and scored 8+2 points to help Tarnow to a 52-43 victory over a "Rest of the World" side.

Meanwhile skipper Todd Wiltshire raced for another "Rest of the World" side, this time at Glasgow in their Sixtieth Anniversary meeting staged on Sunday. He top scored with 12 points as he side beat the Tigers 46-41.

This coming Wednesday at Sandy Lane, the Cheetahs are back in action when they entertain the Ipswich Witches in a Sky Sports Elite League commencing at 7.30pm.