Leicester Lions v Sheffield Tigers

Report

LEAGUE champions Sheffield snatched a 46-44 victory at Leicester courtesy of a last-heat 5-1 from the Holder brothers Jack and Chris.

The lead changed hands at the Pidcock Motorcycles Arena, Beaumont Park on several occasions, and when Max Fricke and Ryan Douglas raced to maximum points in Heat 13 the hosts were favourites to win.

But after a shared Heat 14, the Holders turned it around against Fricke and Douglas in the decider as the Tigers took the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership points.

Jack Holder scored 12+1 for the visitors with Chris on 9+2, whilst Douglas scored 11 for the Lions and Fricke picked up 10+1.

Sheffield boss Simon Stead said: “It was a tight contest all the way through.

“I felt at one stage we’d been unlucky with a couple of engine failures but then we got a bit of luck in one when Sam (Masters) had a bit of trouble on his run to the line so it probably evened itself out over the course of the meeting, just about.

“But the fact that we’ve got the job done is the most important thing; we’ve got the points on the board and it was a great team effort once again that shows what we can do.”

Leicester manager Stewart Dickson said: “We gave it our best, but unfortunately we got beaten in the last race and that’s what makes it hard to take, when you’re leading by two points.

“We had choice of gates for Heat 15 and automatically we went with the same riders and gates as Heat 13, and then when you see their two riders jump out of the start your heart just sinks!

“We’ve just got to keep going. I still think we’ve got a decent side, we just need to get the one-to-seven going collectively.”

LEICESTER 44: Ryan Douglas 11, Max Fricke 10+1, Richard Lawson 6+2, Sam Masters 6+1, Luke Becker 6+1, Drew Kemp 3, Joe Thompson 2.
SHEFFIELD 46: Jack Holder 12+1, Chris Holder 9+2, Kyle Howarth 7, Josh Pickering 7, Jason Edwards 5+1, Tai Woffinden 5, Dan Gilkes 1+1.

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Photo credit: STEVE DIXON