DEPLETED Sheffield left Leicester empty handed as they were beaten 58-32 at the Hydroscand Arena on Thursday.

Forced to ride without their top three riders due to a mixture of injuries, knocks and Polish league commitments, the patched-up Tigers’ side rode well below par.

It was the hosts who adapted to the dusty conditions the better overall though as Sheffield managed just two race winners, both coming inside the opening three races, as they surrendered a 24 point aggregate lead in the process.

Tigers’ team boss Simon Stead said: “Disappointed doesn’t sum it up really.

“Yes we’ve had to come here without our top three which is far from ideal - but with the six riders we did have, we should still have had enough to at least get the aggregate point over the line.

“We lacked firepower, we had too many last places and nowhere near enough race winners and that’s never going to be a healthy combination.

“Fair play to Leicester, they’ve beaten what we put in front of them and they had some misfortune along the way as well.

“We just need to draw a line under this one now though because we’ve got another important home meeting coming up on Monday and we need to make sure we keep our home form going in that one.”

Sheffield host King’s Lynn at Owlerton on Monday (August 17, 7.30pm) in what could prove to be a key head-to-head with the race for a top four spot hotting up.

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R2
LEICESTER 58: Ryan Douglas 13+2, Drew Kemp 10, Nick Morris 9+1, Dan Thompson 8, Joe Thompson 7+2, Sam Masters 6, Kevin Juhl Pedersen 5.
SHEFFIELD 32: Tom Brennan 10, Richard Lawson 8+3, Luke Killeen 7, Anders Rowe 4, Leon Flint 2, Jye Etheridge 1, Josh Pickering R/R.
Leicester win the aggregate point 91-89.