TIGERS MAKE IT TO PLAY-OFFS

SHEFFIELD secured a place in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership play-offs for a sixth successive season following a nervy 50-39 home win over Northampton.

The Tigers required one single league point to mathematically confirm their place in the top four, but had to dig deep against the bottom club’s makeshift side on a night where mechanical gremlins plagued the Owlerton outfit in the first half of the contest.

A makeshift Foxes side actually led 27-26 after Heat 9 before the Tigers came on strong in the second half of the meeting.

Skipper Josh Pickering led the way for the hosts with 12 points and guest Max Fricke added 9+1. Foxes skipper Jaimon Lidsey scored 10, and guest Jason Edwards picked up nine.

Sheffield boss Simon Stead said: “I’m just pleased to get it over the line to be honest.

“It was tighter than we would’ve liked but I’m hopeful that we got rid of all the bad luck that we could possibly have had; I’d rather get that out the way this week rather than next week.

“We had a lot of engine related problems in the pits but the boys have the chance over the next few days to get those sorted because we can’t afford for any mechanical mishaps once the play-offs are here.

“But tonight was all about getting the job done that we knew we had to do, we got it done in the end and that’s the most important thing.”

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Photo credit: CHARLOTTE FLANIGAN