SHEFFIELD dug deep to earn a 48-42 win over Peterborough at Owlerton.

The Tru Plant Tigers were made to work hard for their points against a Panthers team who may be bottom of the Premiership, but certainly pushed the South Yorkshire side.

In fact it was the visitors who won the opening three races and edged ahead with a 4-2 in the third.

But Rising Star Dan Gilkes, who was back from international duty, became Sheffield’s first race winner in Heat Four.

There was drama in that one also though when Tai Woffinden’s bike packed up just as he joined his out front on lap two.

Tigers did move ahead for the first time in Heat Six though when Tobiasz Musielak and Kyle Howarth combined for the hosts’ only 5-1 of the night.

They followed that up with successive 4-2s from Lewis Kerr and Woffinden and then Howarth and Gilkes.

Another 4-2 followed in Heat Ten with Musielak making it back-to-back race wins whilst Howarth flew around a Benjamin Basso on the final turn.

Woffinden secured his first victory of the night in Heat 11 before Adam Ellis and Gilkes moved the Tigers ten up with the side’s fourth 4-2.

In-form Panthers’ No.1 Chris Harris took Heat 13 and 14, the latter as a tactical substitute leading a 5-1 before Woffinden got the better of him in Heat 15.

The two sides meet again on Monday in the second leg of their Round 1 fixture which sees the Tigers take a 14 point advantage to the East of England Arena.

SHEFFIELD 48: Tobiasz Musielak 10, Tai Woffinden 8+1, Kyle Howarth 7+2, Dan Gilkes 7, Adam Ellis 6+1, Josh Pickering 5+1, Lewis Kerr 5+1.
PETERBOROUGH 42: Chris Harris 16, Ben Cook 8+2, Niels-Kristian Iversen 6, Ben Jamin Basso 5, Vadim Tarasenko 3+1, Patryk Wojdylo 3, Jordan Jenkins 1+1.