SHEFFIELD drew 45-45 in a tense top of the table encounter with Peterborough at Owlerton.
A spectacular display from Jason Garrity – backed up by double figure points scores from Craig Cook and Andre Compton – was not enough to see the Window Centre Tigers snatch victory in a fiercely contested clash.
However, they were able to end the Panthers’ perfect Premier League record following a tense finale.
With little to separate the two sides, the visitors struck a heat 12 maximum to leave Sheffield with an uphill task entering the closing stages.
Yet Garrity and Josh Bates brilliantly forced their way to the front in the penultimate race to draw the sides level and set up a tense last heat decider.
Despite preventing a second home defeat of the campaign, Garrity and Cook were unable to get the better of faultless Peterborough guest Brady Kurtz as a blockbuster clash ended with a draw.
And stand-in skipper Compton admitted his side were frustrated they could not claim victory.
Said Compton: “We are disappointed we didn’t win, because we felt like we should have come out on top really.
“We are finding things a little tough without Ty (Proctor) and a couple of riders didn’t have the best of nights.
“The track conditions were a bit different to usual, so I think it took everyone a couple of rides to get to grips with things and we just didn’t quite have enough in the end.
“It was a frustrated night, and although we were relieved to avoid defeat we were really looking to get the win.”
Garrity had been in fine form all evening in the middle order, racing to three classy wins and guiding home Arthur Sissis to get the Tigers back on level terms in heat eight.
With Compton and Cook both impressing plus reserve duo Bates and Sissis notching solid scores, Sheffield came within a whisker of victory.
However, Ashley Birks endured a tough night whilst rider replacement yielded just two points in place of Ty Proctor as Jack Lee’s side had to settle for one Premier League point.
They will be back in action at Plymouth on Friday night aiming to get back to winning ways against the struggling Devils.
SHEFFIELD 45: Jason Garrity 12+1, Craig Cook 11+2, Andre Compton 10, Josh Bates 5+1, Arthur Sissis 4, Ashley Birks 3, Ty Proctor r/r
PETERBOROUGH 45: Brady Kurtz 15, Simon Lambert 12, Ulrich Ostergaard 9+2, Lewis Blackbird 5+3, Michael Palm Toft 3+1, Oliver Greenwood 1+1, Robert Lambert r/r
