TIGERS COMEBACK STUNS FOXES
SHEFFIELD snatched their first away victory of the season with a dramatic late comeback to triumph 48-42 at Northampton on Thursday.
With just four races remaining the Foxes led by eight points, but they were left shell-shocked by the Tigers’ response after the interval.
The visitors collected a 4-2 in Heat 12 and then reeled off 5-1s in each of Heats 13 to 15, two of them coming from Jack and Chris Holder, and the other from Leon Flint and Jye Etheridge.
Holder senior was in vintage form with 16 points from six rides as Sheffield covered the absence of Josh Pickering, whilst brother Jack scored 12+4 from seven outings.
Nicolai Klindt and Kye Thomson both scored 9+1 for the hosts who suffered their first home defeat in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership.
Sheffield manager Simon Stead said: “I’m so pleased with the boys. It was a topsy-turvy meeting; we were always there-or-thereabouts and then we let it slip again in that mid-part which was disappointing.
“But we regrouped after Heat 11 in the interval, got our heads together and knew what we needed to do in the final few heats.
“They executed it perfectly so I can’t ask any more from them and hats off to the lads. A massive shoutout as well, the Sheffield supporters turned out in massive numbers and it was awesome to share that win with them at the end.”
Northampton promoter Paul Hunsdon said: “This is a real hard one to take. It’s the first time that we’ve really been in control of a meeting and we’ve managed to not get over the line and it’s really, really disappointing.
“There are a lot of disappointed people in the pits tonight, and as a management we’re a little bit stunned and shocked really with how it’s turned out.
“We were so in control of the meeting with four heats to go, so it’s hard to take. You can’t really point fingers at anyone, and no rider is going to turn up and have an off-night on purpose, but it’s just really frustrating.”
Watch the action from Heat 14 (courtesy of CLEAN CUT SPORTS)
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Photo credit: JEFF DAVIES
