STRONG NIGHT FOR LIONS

LEICESTER moved up to second place in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership table with a 49-41 win over Sheffield with Ryan Douglas once again in top form at home.

The Australian won his first four rides, passing top Tigers duo Jack Holder and Josh Pickering in Heat 13, and was only denied a maximum in Heat 15 when he managed to overtake Holder but was beaten by Pickering.

A 14-point score for Douglas was backed up by 11+1 from Nick Morris whilst reserves Drew Kemp and Joe Thompson both impressed despite conceding a 5-1 in Heat 2. The Lions are waiting on a fitness update from Kyle Howath after a crash in Heat 14.

Holder took six rides for the Tigers and collected 14 points with Pickering on 9+2, but the outcome was a second away defeat this week.

Lions manager Stewart Dickson said: “I’d certainly have taken 49-41 before the meeting, but I do think if we’d scored 51 or 52 it wouldn’t have been unjustified.

“After losing at Northampton last week, getting the win was important, and that was a good win against a good, good side, and it gives us something to fight for when we go there next month.

“There was a good atmosphere between all the riders tonight, some really hard racing, and fair play to everybody.”

Pickering said: “We’re disappointed to be honest. We were passengers tonight unfortunately and not enough race winners.

“It’s hard to have the answers to everything but tonight the better team won.

“We appreciate our travelling support; there was a fair few of them all stood on bend one and it does mean a lot to us as riders.”

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Photo credit: STEVE DIXON