Sheffield Tigers v Leicester Lions

Report

SHEFFIELD and Leicester fought out a 45-45 draw in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership at Owlerton – with the defending champions adding the extra point by winning the Super Heat.

Max Fricke and Luke Becker completed the Lions’ comeback from six points down to all-square in the night with a 5-1 in Heat 15, and with the aggregate point already in the bag it gave them two most useful league points towards their play-off chase.

But it was the Tigers who took the spoils on the night as Holder brothers Jack and Chris combined against Fricke and Becker in the additional race, leaving them four points behind league leaders Ipswich with six matches remaining.

Jack Holder scored 13 and Chris Holder 11 across the regular races, with Fricke (12+1) and Becker (11+1) leading the Lions’ scorechart.

Said Chis Holder: “It was a really tough one. Again, the track was a bit tricky for us so we weren’t our dominant selves how we have been in the past.

“Hopefully next week we can put a few points on the board earlier on and give us a bit of a buffer because that was real tight.

“Luckily we had the gate choice (in the Super Heat) which was pretty important and we got the job done.”

Fricke said: “If you’d have told us we would come away with this result before the meeting, we would’ve taken it.

“Plusses and minuses but the home boys are good here, especially when it comes to Heat 15 and they know their way around.

“But it’s great for Leicester, everyone rode well and to come away with a draw, we’re pretty happy.”

SHEFFIELD 45: Jack Holder 13, Chris Holder 11, Josh Pickering 9, Kyle Howarth 6, Jason Edwards 4+1, Dan Gilkes 2+1, Tai Woffinden r/r.
LEICESTER 45: Max Fricke 12+1, Luke Becker 11+1, Ryan Douglas 7, Sam Masters 5+2, Richard Lawson 5+1, Antti Vuolas 4+1, Sam Hagon 1+1.
Sheffield beat Leicester 7-2 in Super Heat
Leicester win the aggregate point

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Photo credit: PHIL McGLYNN