SHEFFIELD missed out by two points to Premier League leaders Edinburgh who came away with a 47-45 win in Thursday’s Owlerton season finale.

The patched-up Window Centre Tigers battled right to the end and at least finished their home season with two successive 5-1s to restrict the Monarchs’ winning margin.

Leigh Lanham returned from his crash last week with an impressive 15-point haul and guest David Bellego was great value at No.1, completing the meeting in impressively strong form.

Tigers led by two points after three races thanks to a 5-1 from reserves Ben Wilson and James Sarjeant in Heat 2, but the match slipped away from them in a four race spell between Heats 4 and 7 in which the visitors carded three 5-1s.

At that stage both Max Fricke and Sam Masters were unbeaten, and with Tigers 16-26 down Lanham’s tactical ride in Heat 8 was thwarted by Justin Sedgmen.

Lanham did get the better of Masters to win Heat 9 but the Monarchs maintained a comfortable position with further wins for Fricke and Craig Cook, and a 4-2 from Fricke and Aaron Fox in Heat 12 all-but ensured their win on the night.

Bellego rode superbly to defeat Masters and Cook in Heat 13 but Nico Covatti missed out at the back, before Sheffield finished with a flourish.

Wilson was joined for a 5-1 by Mason Campton in Heat 14 after Steve Worrall slowed in the closing stages, and then it was Lanham and Bellego who ended the home season in style by taking maximum points from Masters and Fricke – leaving Tigers just short on the night after a creditable effort.

SHEFFIELD 45: Leigh Lanham 15, David Bellego 11+1, Ben Wilson 8+2, Mason Campton 4+2, Nico Covatti 4, James Sarjeant 3+2, Andre Compton r/r.
EDINBURGH 47: Max Fricke 12, Sam Masters 11, Craig Cook 8+1, Justin Sedgmen 8+1, Derek Sneddon 4+1, Steve Worrall 3+1, Aaron Fox 1.