SHEFFIELD missed out on the chance to finish the season with some silverware after going down to a Play-Off Final defeat against Newcastle.
And with it also went the opportunity to face Ipswich in a promotion/ relegation race-off for a place in next season’s Elite League.
The Tigers entered the meeting at the Byker track with a ten-point lead from Thursday’s first leg at Owlerton, but they got off to a poor start and combined with a lack of race winners the end result always looked inevitable.
The Diamonds got off to a blistering start and following the completion of heat 4 had quickly opened up a 19-5 lead.
Ricky Ashworth then went for double-points in heat 5, but he could only finish second behind the impressive Rene Bach and the race was shared 4-4.
A Newcastle 4-2 followed in heat 6, but the Tigers aggregate hopes were raised when Simon Lambert and Hugh Skidmore were awarded a 5-1 after Dakota North had fallen whilst leading heat 8.
Tactical ride man Josh Auty then split the home pairing of Bach and Derek Sneddon in heat 9 resulting in a 4-4 drawn race, but then Newcastle replied with a maximum in heat 10 and the writing was seemingly on the wall.
And when Bach came from behind to win the penultimate race the Diamonds secured the Play-off trophy and also the right to go head-to-head with Ipswich.
NEWCASTLE 58: Rene Bach 14+1, Kenni Larsen 13, Stuart Robson 11+1, Derek Sneddon 8+1, Adam McKinna 7+1, Dakota North 5+1, Jason King R/R
SHEFFIELD 36: Ricky Ashworth 9, Simon Lambert 8+2, Josh Auty 7, Hugh Skidmore 6+2, Richard Hall 6+1, Casper Wortmann 0, Josef Franc R/R
