WINNING START FOR TIGER CUBS

SHEFFIELD opened their WSRA National Development League campaign with a hard-fought 48-42 home win over Middlesbrough.

The Tiger Cubs, who are running as a joint team with Scunthorpe, found themselves six points down with five gone at Owlerton but dug deep to turn things around.

Temporary No.1 Jack Smith (14) led from the front, dropping his only point in Heat 15 – the same race that fellow heat-leader Ace Pijper (12+2) was also denied a paid maximum of his own by Ben Trigger.

For the visitors, Trigger (11) was well supported by Jamie Halder who won two races for a ten-point score.

Tiger Cubs manager Simon Lambert said: “I thought it was a great performance from all the boys. They all contributed which was really pleasing and I am very proud of them all.

“For Stene Pijper to go and get 6+1 in his first ever competitive meeting on the 500cc’s deserves a special mention from me though – if that boy could gate, he wouldn’t have got beaten because he was carrying some proper speed.

“But as I said, they’ve all impressed me in their own way and to get a win in our first meeting is pretty cool.”

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Photo credit: CHARLOTTE FLANIGAN