Oxford Spires v Birmingham Brummies

Report

OXFORD remain in the top four of the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership after a 46-44 win over Birmingham in a meeting which ended in high drama at Cowley.

The Spires were always set to take the aggregate point, but the Brummies looked set for their first away victory as the two top-flight newcomers put on a thrilling contest.

Fredrik Lindgren and Tom Brennan gave the visitors a two-point lead with a 5-1 in Heat 13, which was maintained when the next race was shared, but Brennan was then disqualified from Heat 15 after a clash with Erik Riss.

And in the re-run, Maciej Janowski squeezed around Lindgren on turn two to join Riss for a 5-1 which turned the match back in the Spires’ favour.

Janowski (11+1) and Riss (11) led the scoring for Oxford, with those scores matched by Lindgren (11+1) and Brennan (11), and the Spires are now two points ahead of Leicester albeit having raced four more matches.

Riss said: “We had to win tonight, because to make the play-offs, the minimum we need is to win every meeting at home. It was probably closer today than it should have been.

“You want to pinch wins like we did tonight away from home – around your home track it should be more comfortable. It was stressful, but we got the win and that’s all that matters.

“In Heat 15, there were a few people from the Birmingham side in the pits saying I went down without a touch, but I certainly felt something and the replay showed that there was contact. I wouldn’t have fallen without it.”

Brummies boss Sam Ermolenko said: “Because BSN were there, I was able to see the referee’s call on Heat 15 – and I disagree with him.

“Riss was trying to hold onto his position and put his leg out. I wouldn’t have minded getting beat if it was fair – but what I saw was unfair.

“It’s just really difficult to accept because to do all of the work to get ourselves into that position and to have a referee make a decision like that, it deflated everything.”

OXFORD 46: Maciej Janowski 11+1, Erik Riss 11, Charles Wright 7+1, Chris Harris 7, Rohan Tungate 5+1, Ashton Boughen 3+1, Luke Killeen 2+1.
BIRMINGHAM 44: Freddie Lindgren 11+1, Tom Brennan 11, Zach Cook 8+1, Michael Palm Toft 5+1, Wiktor Lampart 4, Piotr Pawlicki 4, Leon Flint 1.
Oxford win the aggregate point

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Photo credit: LES AUBREY