SHEFFIELD ended rivals Belle Vue’s unbeaten start to the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership campaign and claimed three league points on Bank Holiday Monday.
The Tigers missed an opportunity in Manchester on Monday afternoon as they slipped to a 50-40 defeat away to the Aces, despite racing into an early six point lead and despite their opponents tracking a patched-up side.
And whilst Belle Vue’s makeshift line-up again made the Steel City side work hard for it, the Tigers produced another super strong finish at Owlerton to clinch the aggregate point in the very last race and a 54-36 win on the night.
Sheffield got off to the perfect start in front of their home supporters as Anders Rowe and Jack Holder combined for an opening 5-1 before five shared races followed.
The action sprung into life in Heat Seven as captain Josh Pickering flew around fellow Aussie Zach Cook at the end of lap three and with Jye Etheridge getting the better of Belle Vue guest Justin Sedgmen, the 4-2 extended the Tigers lead to six,
The visitors bounced back with a 4-2 of their own in Heat Eight before the hosts bagged another result of that scoreline from Leon Flint and Chris Holder.
That prompted a tactical substitute from Aces team manager Mark Lemon - but Jack Holder charged his way to the front on the opening lap with Belle Vue No.1 Brady Kurtz having to settle for second ahead of team-mate Cook.
Kurtz did lead a 4-2 to bring the gap back down to four going into the interval - but the Tigers came out fired up to produce yet another blistering finish on home shale.
Chris Holder and Etheridge delivered the maximum goods in Heat 12 before a wonderful opening lap from Jack Holder and Pickering secured a second successive 5-1 to secure the meeting win and also put them ahead on aggregate.
Flint and Etheridge then linked up for a 4-2 to put the Tigers in the driving seat for the extra point knowing they needed to avoid a 5-1 to disregard a Super Heat.
And whilst it was Kurtz who initially hit the front, there was no stopping Pickering and Jack Holder as the pair both came storming by the world No.2 as the latter secured an unbeaten paid maximum after a frustrating afternoon in Manchester.
Tigers team boss Simon Stead said: “We were disappointed not to take advantage of Belle Vue’s situation in the away meeting with them missing three of their regular line-up - but we headed back to Sheffield knowing we’d got an opportunity to put things right quickly.
“Fair play to Belle Vue and their patched-up team, they didn’t really give us any chance to pull away in the first three quarters or so of the meeting.
“But full credit to our lads who continued to get stuck in, they dug deep and came up with another big finish to earn us three league points which was the minimum requirement from us over the two meetings.
“It was another big crowd at Owlerton, the lads served up some outstanding passing moves and it’s another home win so we can’t ask for too much more really!”
Sheffield head to Leicester this Thursday (May 28, 7.30) as they await news on the fitness of Rising Star Luke Killeen who was withdrawn from the action in Manchester after aggravating a rib injury in Heat Eight.
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R1
BELLE VUE 50: Jaimon Lidsey 10+2, Brady Kurtz 10+1, Zach Cook 10, Kye Thomson 8, Tate Zischke 8, Justin Sedgmen 4+3, Will Cairns 0. SHEFFIELD 40: Chris Holder 16, Josh Pickering 9, Jack Holder 4+1, Luke Killeen 4, Anders Rowe 3+1, Jye Etheridge 3, Leon Flint 1.
SHEFFIELD 54: Jack Holder 14+1, Josh Pickering 12+2, Leon Flint 9+1, Jye Etheridge 8, Chris Holder 6+2, Anders Rowe 5, Freddy Hodder 0. BELLE VUE 36: Zach Cook 9+1, Brady Kurtz 8, Niels-Kristian Iversen 6+1, Kye Thomson 5, Tate Zischke 4+1, William Cairns 4+1, Justin Sedgmen 0. Sheffield win the aggregate point 94-86.
