OXFORD boss Peter Schroeck says his side will “give it everything” in the Cab Direct KO Cup final second leg.
The Cheetahs face a monumental task of overturning a 24-point deficit at Poole from the opening home defeat at Cowley.
Schroeck has the unenviable task of rallying what’s left of his troops at fortress Wimborne Road on Wednesday night, live on BSN.
He said: “We have to go to Poole and give it everything we can despite the long list of injuries.
“The first job is to find a guest for Scott Nicholls and that’s not easy at this time of the season.
“It’s tough to get someone of the quality of Scott. A lot of the riders have actually stopped riding for over a month. A lot have packed up already.
“My options are pretty limited of what I can do. But we are going to go to Poole to try and put on a good show.
“Even if our fans are understandably a bit deflated now and unlikely to travel, it’s important we put on a performance for the Poole fans and with a competitive side.
“Luke (Killeen) is definitely out. I don’t want to take the risk with him.
“We are trying to keep our heads up high but, right now, it feels very difficult I must admit.”
Cameron Heeps was excellent in the first leg but knows it’s an uphill task in Dorset.
He added: “I had a decent night. I made the odd mistake here and there, but overall I had a good night. But I’m gutted for the team and I hope that Scott is okay. It’s not quite over yet, because there are 15 races still to be held, but we have made it hard for ourselves.
“Losing Scott was a big blow. He does fire up the whole team. He knows how to turn it on and when to turn it on, so to lose him in his first ride is just gutting.
“I’ve had a good year personally. We’ve also had a good year as a team, reaching a couple of finals, and I’ve had a great time with these lads.”
Words by Holeshot Media.
Images by Taylor Lanning.