Knockout Cup: quarter-final, first-leg: Oxford 54-36 Edinburgh
Stellar Monarchs a mountain to climb if they are to progress to the semi-final of the Knockout Cup after being mauled 54-36 at Oxford Cheetahs with former skipper Sam Masters (pictured) in imperious form with an immaculate maximum.
The return leg is on Friday at Armadale (tapes-up 7.30pm) but Monarchs had no answer to the hosts and top scorer Craig Cook admitted: “The old saying is you need to pull the finger out. We might need to pull two or three out on Friday.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do, but the boys are capable of doing it and we need to focus.”
Heat wins for Kyle Bickley in a re-run heat two and Cook in heat four meant the gap was only four points
Cook put up the main resistance for the rest of the match but he lacked support and the final race saw in-form Masters complete his maximum.
Oxford Cheetahs 54 : Masters 15, Heeps 10+1, Nicholls 11+1, Jenkins 10+1, Kerr 0, Atkins 3, Killeen 5+2
Stellar Monarchs 36 : Harris 7+1, Fredriksen 1+1, Thomson 5, Castagna 4+1, Cook 12, Bickley 5+2, Hook 2
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