TIGERS SHOW THEIR TEETH IN LAST HEAT DECIDER

Sunday August 26, 2007
FOLLOWING hot-on-the-heals of Friday’s massive win at Somerset, comes an excellent 46-43 victory at Mildenhall on Sunday.

The Tigers were incredibly eleven points behind after heat 9 at West Row and were still trailing by three points going into heat 15, but some last heat heroics from Andre Compton and Ricky Ashworth saw the Yorkshiremen claim all the points. The Sheffield duo led from tapes-to-flag in the last heat decider and despite coming under pressure from Mildenhall’s Paul Fry for a couple of laps, held on for the match-winning 5-1.

However it was the home side that got off to a great start opening up a 12-6 lead after three races. Former Sheffield rider Kyle Legault looked in particular good form going from last to first whilst securing a 4-2 with Fry in heat 3.

The Tigers hit back with a 4-2 from James Cockle and Joel Parsons in heat 4, but the Fen Tigers stepped it up to increase their advantage to 23-13 after heat 6. A Mildenhall 3-2 followed in heat 9 and with Sheffield trailing 32-21 there appeared to be no way back – but the Tigers showed they are made of stern stuff.

Compton and Paul Cooper started the recovery with a 4-2 in heat 10 and then Ashworth and Ben Wilson reduced the deficit to just five points (35-30), courtesy of a five-pointer in heat 11.

An in-form Ashworth and Parsons raced to a superb 5-1 in heat 13 and with heat 14 shared, it left Mildenhall leading by just a single point going into the final race of the afternoon.

So it was all on the final four laps of the match. Sheffield, who hadn’t been ahead all afternoon, thankfully hit the front when it mattered, with the last heat maximum from Compton and Ashworth securing three very important Premier League points for the Tigers.

MILDENHALL: Paul Fry 10+1, Shawn Tacey 9+1, Kyle Legault 7+1, Jason King 6, Tomas Suchanek 4+1, Mark Baseby 4+1, Tom P Madsen 3

SHEFFIELD: Andre Compton 13, Ricky Ashworth 12+1, Ben Wilson 6+2, Joel Parsons 6+1, James Cockle 5, Paul Cooper 4+1, James Birkinshaw R/R

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