Sheffield Tigers v Oxford Spires

Report

SHEFFIELD kept up their strong home start to the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership with a 57-33 win over Oxford at Owlerton.

Jack Holder (13+1) and skipper Josh Pickering (11) led the way for the Tigers, who also scored heavily at reserve with Leon Flint (9) winning three races and new signing Lewis Kerr contributing 8+1.

The Spires were only six points down with six heats remaining, but a hat-trick of Sheffield 5-1s and three 4-2s in the other races saw the hosts pull clear. Rohan Tungate notched an encouraging ten points for the visitors.

Tigers boss Simon Stead said: “It was a really good result. They closed the gap and made it look a little bit closer than it perhaps was. But we just turned the screw really and finished them off, which was good.

“It was great to see Justin (Sedgmen) and Lewi step into the team and do a really good job, and the rest of the boys performed how we know they can.”

Oxford manager Peter Schroeck said: “Sheffield is always a tough place to come. But the boys battled tonight and this was a much better performance by the team than in recent meetings.

“The final score doesn’t really reflect the meeting. For me, it’s important that the boys are building up their confidence.

“Both Rohan and Maciej (Janowski) were much happier with their engines today. Sheffield is a good test, because it’s such a fast track. They are still finding one or two things, but there was positivity in the pits tonight.”

SHEFFIELD 57: Jack Holder 13+1, Josh Pickering 11, Leon Flint 9, Lewi Kerr 8+1, Chris Holder 7+2, Anders Rowe 5+2, Justin Sedgmen 4+1.
OXFORD 33: Rohan Tungate 10, Charles Wright 8, Maciej Janowski 7+2, Erik Riss 3+1, Peter Kildemand 2+1, Luke Killeen 2, Francis Gusts 1.

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Photo credit: CHARLOTTE FLANIGAN

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