PREVIEW: OXFORD v POOLE (CAB DIRECT KO CUP FINAL)

OXFORD host Poole at Cowley tonight (Thursday) as the Championship’s top two teams battle it out for the last silverware of the season in the Cab Direct KO Cup Final.

The Cheetahs are now staging the first leg, as they did in the league Grand Final when they won by 12 points only to see that margin wiped out at Wimborne Road.

That means the Pirates know aggregate victory will give them the Treble of major team honours in 2024 with their Championship win preceded by success in the BSN Series.

With three members of their team sidelined Oxford again track Dan Gilkes as a guest for Jordan Jenkins, with Jack Smith in for concussion victim Luke Killeen and Connor Coles comes in for Adam Roynon.

Poole are at full strength, with the second leg to come in Dorset next Wednesday (October 23).

Cheetahs manager Peter Schroeck said: “We can’t afford to dwell on the events of the Grand Final at Poole last week. It’s time to move on, because there’s still a competition that we can win this season – the Cab Direct Knockout Cup.

“We have been one of the best two teams in the Cab Direct Championship, and we firmly believe that we deserve something out of this season. The Cup is the chance to do that and finish our season on a high.

“Of course, it’s not going to be easy. On paper, Poole could be seen as favourites. But many people had the Monarch Cheetahs down as favourites to win the league, after we won the first leg by 12 points.

“Speedway isn’t raced on paper and anything can happen – and we have the riders to do the job.”

OXFORD: Sam Masters, Ashton Boughen, Cameron Heeps, Dan Gilkes, Scott Nicholls, Jack Smith, Connor Coles.
POOLE: Richard Lawson, Sam Hagon, Ben Cook, Zach Cook, Tom Brennan, Tobias Thomsen, Vinnie Foord.
SCB Referee: Mick Bates

LIVE STREAMING: https://watch.britishspeedway.co.uk