Sheffield Tigers v Birmingham Brummies

Report

SHEFFIELD moved to within one point of ROWE Motor Oil Premiership leaders Ipswich with a 54-36 win over Birmingham.

The defending champions are now ahead of Belle Vue on race points difference and have a match in hand on the Witches after a comfortable victory at Owlerton.

Tai Woffinden scored a paid maximum (11+1) including a spectacular third to first effort to win Heat 11, whilst Chris Holder (14), Jack Holder (12) and Kyle Howarth (10+1) were also in the major points.

Brummies skipper Steve Worrall scored 11+1, taking the only two race wins recorded by the visitors.

Sheffield manager Simon Stead said: “We didn’t want to underestimate the opposition. We knew they were, perhaps, understrength with having to run R/R at No.1 and bringing in a guest at reserve but it’s easy to take your finger off the pulse and we didn’t want to do that.

“So we knew that we needed to concentrate on our own form and try and build some momentum.

“It was a good result, we got the points that we needed to which is the main thing and I felt it was another step in the right direction for us.”

Worrall said: “We were up against it straight away without our No.1 and this is the track where if you have that rider that goes out and inspires you, the rest of the lads feed off it – I’ve been here in the past and that’s just how it tends to roll.

“We’ve got good times ahead though; we’ve got points to play with and if we can keep the team as strong as we can, I really do think we’ll have a good rest of the season.”

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R1
SHEFFIELD 54: Chris Holder 14, Jack Holder 12, Tai Woffinden 11+1, Kyle Howarth 10+1, Jason Edwards 5+1, Dan Gilkes 2+1, Josh Pickering r/r.
BIRMINGHAM 36: Steve Worrall 11+1, Zach Cook 8+2, Justin Sedgmen 7+1, Tom Brennan 5, Leon Flint 4+2, Simon Lambert 1, Piotr Pawlicki r/r.
Sheffield win the aggregate point

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Photo credit: PHIL McGLYNN