Oxford Spires v Sheffield Tigers

Report

SHEFFIELD moved top of the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership with a comeback from ten points down to win a Super Heat at Oxford.

The Spires raced into a 23-13 lead after six races, but the Tigers came charging back with a string of 5-1s and led the meeting after Heat 11 when Charles Wright was disqualified for bringing down Jack Holder on the first bend.

Oxford turned the meeting back around and a 5-1 from Peter Kildemand and Rohan Tungate in Heat 14 put them four points up again, only for Holder and Josh Pickering to level it up once more with maximum points in Heat 15.

The 45-45 outcome set up a Super Heat and although Erik Riss won the race for the Spires, Holder and Pickering forced their way inside Tungate on the first lap to give the visitors the additional league point.

Sheffield boss Simon Stead said: “I’m really pleased because we had a couple of hiccups.

“We sort of sacrificed the gates early on to have a swing in our favour later on.

“Jack and Picko knew the job, we had a chat beforehand and with the scoring the way it is, they knew it was important to just avoid a last place.

“We kept the faith and just about got the job done.”

OXFORD 45: Erik Riss 11+1, Rohan Tungate 8+3, Peter Kildemand 8+1, Zach Cook 8, Charles Wright 5, Maciej Janowski 4+1, Luke Killeen 1.
SHEFFIELD 45: Jack Holder 11, Josh Pickering 9+2, Anders Rowe 7+2, Leon Flint 6+2, Justin Sedgmen 5+1, Chris Holder 5, Lewi Kerr 2.
Sheffield beat Oxford 5-4 in Super Heat
Sheffield win the aggregate point

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Photo credit: STEVE EDMUNDS