PETER Schroeck knows Oxford Cheetahs’ clash with Scunthorpe Scorpions will be very different to the last time they met.

The Sandy Lane outfit head to Lincolnshire tonight for the final meeting of a busy week in the SGB Championship.

It is exactly a month since the teams last met, with Cheetahs triumphing 49-40 at Oxford Stadium in their first competitive fixture for 15 years.

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The hosts did not seal victory until the final heat and Schroeck is relishing the prospect of another close encounter tonight.

He said: “There was a lot of emotion and all sorts of things going on.

“Oxford hadn’t had any speedway for 15 years and the boys were all a little bit tense, because they’d signed for a massive club.

“There was a lot of attention and the stadium was full.

“It’s not an excuse but it was tough, our boys had only been on the track once so we were still trying to find the right set-ups.

“It was a close meeting, but that’s not a bad thing.

“I like to see close meetings, winning by 20 points is not good for the crowd.

“It’s good for your ego, but that’s about it.

“Close meetings keep everyone’s tongues wagging and keep the taste for people to come back.”

Cheetahs are growing accustomed to tense victories, beating Redcar Bears 47-43 at Sandy Lane on Wednesday.

Three-time British champion Chris Harris scored 11 points as he replaced the injured Troy Batchelor and will step in again tonight.

Seventh-placed Cheetahs start the meeting three points ahead of Scorpions, in eighth, and the hosts will be keen to close the gap.

Schroeck, who is part of the club’s management staff, said: “Scunthorpe is a pretty fair track, it’s all about speed so the boys have got to have their bikes set up right.

“A lot of them have done a lot of laps around there, so it’s just a case of using that confidence.

“I’m sure Scunthorpe are thinking exactly the same as us, they’ll want to keep a clean sheet at home.

“We’ve got to give it our all to bring something home.”

Cheetahs have had a gruelling week, losing at Plymouth Gladiators 24 hours before their victory over Redcar, but Schroeck is not complaining.

He said: “The travelling is long-winded, but it is what it is. They’re all used to it, we’ve been doing it for years.

“After six months we can have a little rest.”