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| |  | BIRMINGHAM are now five points adrift at the foot of the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership after yet another defeat at the hands of Oxford.
The Curtis Sport Brummies once again failed to beat the team directly above them in the table as they lost 47-43 against the Spires for the second time at Perry Barr this season.
It was only Oxford’s fourth win of the campaign - and their fourth against Birmingham.
Visiting skipper Maciej Janowski worked his way from third to first early on in the opener to lead a shared race before the Brummies’ former Rising Star came back to haunt them in Heat Two.
Jason Edwards was brought in as a guest by Oxford and it was no surprise to anyone to see him pop out and take the chequered flag in Heat Two as the visitors edged ahead with a 4-2 with home guest Zaine Kennedy taking second and visiting No.7 Luke Killeen getting the better of his opposite number Sam Hagon for third after a good ride on lap two.
Keynan Rew and Jonas Jeppesen drew the Brummies back level before Matej Zagar won Heat Four whilst Hagon was passed by Killeen and then Rohan Tungate after an initial good gate.
The visitors retook the lead with a 5-1 in Heat Five; Janowski made it two from two whilst former Brummie, and another Oxford guest, Zach Cook tucked in behind him.
Tobiasz Musielak led a 4-2 in Heat Six before Zagar and Kennedy took the minor placings in a 3-3 in Heat Seven.
Killeen made a super start to the eighth and it was up to Paco Castagna to pull an impressive ride out of the bag and split the visitors as he worked his way past Cook in the latter stages.
Heat Nine saw a second successive 4-2 for the visitors before a good ride from Charles Wright saw him move into the lead to keep the gap at six points in Oxford’s favour.
Zagar became the first man to defeat Janowski with a fast start to Heat 11 whilst Kennedy fended off Cook for a Birmingham 4-2.
Edwards collected his second win of the night in Heat 12 before the Brummies were dealt a major blow in Heat 13.
Zagar pulled onto the middle during lap two after he found himself out at the back and with Oxford already on a 5-1, Musielak then had to push home for the third place point after what appeared to be a puncture at the start of lap four.
That didn’t stop team manager Chris Adams nominating him for a tactical ride in the penultimate race though - and his skipper produced the goods alongside Rew as the Brummies got the required 5-1 to force a last heat decider.
But Oxford’s choice of gate positions proved important as Janowski and Tungate flew into a maximum position. And even though Musielak and Rew eventually worked their way into second and third, it wasn’t enough to stop the Brummies slipping to another frustrating defeat.
The Perry Barr outfit head to Ipswich on Thursday (July 24, 7.30pm) before hosting defending champions Belle Vue in the Second City next Monday (July 28, 7.30pm).
BIRMINGHAM 43: Tobiasz Musielak 11+2, Keynan Rew 9+2, Matej Zagar 8, Paco Castagna 7, Zaine Kennedy 5+2, Jonas Jeppesen 3, Sam Hagon 0.
OXFORD 47: Maciej Janowski 14, Rohan Tungate 8+2, Charles Wright 8, Jason Edwards 7, Luke Killeen 6, Zach Cook 3+1, Kye Thomson 1.
Oxford win the aggregate point
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