EVERY SO OFTEN, words cannot do a speedway meeting justice.
That was exactly the case on Thursday night as the Sheffield Window Centre Tigers produced a stunning comeback to shock Workington in the Premier League.
The Comets won at Owlerton last year and have a team packed full of track specialist’s, and they made a fantastic start as they consistently outgated the home side early on.
They won the first five races in a row and banged in three 5-1 advantages, leaving Sheffield a massive 14 points behind after a third of the meeting.
There didn’t seem to be a way back for the Tigers, with their lower end struggling and Workington winning races throughout their side.
The comeback began when Simon Stead won his tactical ride in heat six and Facundo Albin picked up third place to reduce the deficit by five, but Sheffield were pegged back immediately as the visItors secured a 4-2 in the next race.
A conversation between Richard Hall and captain Stead led to Steady helping the track staff and from that point there was a huge improvement in the quality of the racing, and Sheffield’s fortunes!
Joe Haines, who had struggled in his first two races, brilliantly rounded Rene Bach to win heat nine and when last week’s maximum man Hall joined him at the front, the Tigers fans had hope.
The Stead-Albin partnership has been Sheffield’s most successful all season and again they did the business with a 4-2 in heat 10 and that slashed the Workington lead to just five.
Ricky Wells replicated Haines’ heat nine move when he swooped round Tero Aarnio to guarantee a share of the spoils in 11, and Jake Knight did the very same in the next race to bring Owlerton to their feet and give the Sheffield fans real hope.
Heat 13 was always going to be vital and it was the Comets pairing of Richard Lawson and Rene Bach who made the start, with Stead toiling at the back.
He found some speed though and brilliantly rounded Bach before cutting under Lawson on the next turn and again the side’s shared the heat, but Sheffield had the momentum.
Jake Knight enjoyed his best night for the Tigers as he held off the challenge of Chris Mills in heat 14, and with Hall getting the better of Kyle Howarth the home side were three points down heading in to the last race.
Stead and Hall were the men charged with achieving the impossible and securing a Tigers win, and you would never bet against them as the Premier League’s very own Turbo Twins did the business.
Stead made the start, and Hall lined up his opponents and picked them off with ease to join his captain at the front to produce a brilliant, unlikely win.
Hall, whose early season form has been excellent, admitted to feeling a mixture of joy and relief.
“Me and Simon had a chat before heat 15 and I told him to just go if he made the start because I was confident I’d be able to pass them.
“I know my way around here and know which lines work, I knew if I had a clear run I could do it and I was just chuffed we could get the 5-1. We started so badly but the character was amazing, everyone chipped in and to come from 14 down to win, that’s pretty special.
“You hate to lose at home so for us to win from the position we were in, we’re over the moon with that.”
