STEAD: WE’RE NOT DONE YET

SHEFFIELD manager Simon Stead is adamant his team can still turn the Sports Insure Premiership Grand Final around on home shale this Thursday.

The Tigers went down to an 18-point defeat at Foxhall in the first leg, which therefore means they need to improve on past Owlerton results against the Witches this season which have seen them twice win 51-39 before a narrower 48-42 victory in the KO Cup.

Stead said: “Obviously I’m disappointed we weren’t able to keep it closer, and the lads feel the same.

“There’s no real excuse for a couple of the decisions that went against us in the first few races and they definitely worked in Ipswich’s favour.

“We were still able to keep things pretty tight for the first eight races though – it was just a shame we let them pull away the way they did in the second half of the meeting.

“But while we would’ve liked to have kept it much, much closer, we’re far from giving up on that league title just yet because at the end of the day, we’ve still got 15 races at our place to turn it all around.

“Looking back on historic visits of Ipswich to Owlerton and knowing what those riders who will be representing Sheffield are capable of around there, let me tell you now that this contest is far from over and it’s by no means finished.”

Photo credit: JEFF HIGGOTT