SHEFFIELD'S speedway stars completed a memorable double over neighbours Scunthorpe with a 48-41 win at Normanby Road.

The result means they have a golden opportunity to reach the latter stages of the Premier Trophy competition, the warm-up tournament to the Premier League.

Eric Boocock's men kept the scores close in the early stages on a bitterly cold night in Lincolnshire - but they eventually proved they had more all-round strength than the Premier League newboys.

With no aggregate bonus point available this season, away wins are precious and the extra point gained from the Normanby Road trip - there are now three-points on the table for an away win - could prove decisive in the final analysis.

The scores were level after seven heats, but a 5-1 from Joel Parsons and Lee Smethills in heat 8 gave the Owlerton side the lead.

There was plenty of drama at a vital part of the meeting. Tigers gained a 3-2 from a heat 11 that saw only two finishers after Parsons retired and Richard Hall fell.

After three successive shared heats, the visitors gave the scoreline a more emphatic look with a 4-2 in the final heat.

Ultimately the difference between the sides was Sheffield’s top end firepower, with their top five providing 11 of the 15 race winners.

Richard Hall provided Scunthorpe’s threat, with a paid ten return from his five rides, and has clearly become a better rider thanks to his experience with Elite League Peterborough.

SCUNTHORPE: Richard Hall 9+1, Byron Bekker 7, Magnus Karlsson 7, Andrew Moore 6+1, Carl Wilkinson 6, Viktor Bergstrom 3+3, Benji Compton 3+2

SHEFFIELD: Andre Compton 12+1, Ricky Ashworth 11+1, Joel Parsons 9, Ben Wilson 7, Lee Smethills 4+2, Paul Cooper 5, Sam Martin 0.