Speedway: Holder brothers snatch late dramatic Premiership victory for Sheffield Tigers at Leicester Lions

Sheffield secured a dramatic last ditch win at Leicester, as the Holder brothers battled to a 5-1 heat 15 clincher.

The Rowe Motor Oil Premiership clash had gone right down to the final heat, with Leicester going into the last race of the night two points clear.

But with Jack and Chris Holder selected by the Tru7 Group Tigers to take on Max Fricke and Ryan Douglas in the final heat, Jack raced off to finish well clear of the field, with Jack managing to stay ahead of both Leicester riders, to seal a 46-44 victory in the match.

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It doubled the Tigers points tally in the Premiership table so far, adding to their dramatic Super Heat success at Birmingham last month.

No more than four points ever separated the Tru7 Group Tigers and the Lions in a close contest in the East Midlands.

Sheffield had started the meeting well, Jack Holder and Kyle Howarth securing a 4-2 heat advantage in the very first heat, and Tigers either leading or level until heat eight, but Leicester struck back with their own 4-2 in the heat two reserve race..

Tigers again gated on a 5-1 in the third, but Chris Holder’s bike packed up whilst leading leaving Josh Pickering to take the chequered flag.

A second 3-3 followed before Tigers moved back ahead when Howarth and Jack Holder did hold on for a 5-1, this time over Sam Masters and Luke Becker.

But the hosts replied instantly when Tai Woffinden suffered mechanical gremlins in the sixth.

Pickering and Holder sat for second and third in Heat Seven before Leicester moved ahead for the first time with a 4-2 in the re-run of Heat Eight after Dan Gilkes took a tumble on bends three and four.

Woffinden was on hand to pass Sam Masters for the win in the ninth after the Aussie suffered an engine failure before Chris Holder led a 3-3 in Heat Ten.

Jack Holder and Howarth teamed up for their third advantage of the night to level the scores with a 4-2 in Heat 11 before a second straight 4-2 from Chris Holder and Jason Edwards edged the Tigers back in front.

But the hosts came fighting back with a 5-1 in Heat 13 as Fricke and Douglas outgated Jack Holder and Woffinden and a 3-3 in Heat 14 took it down to a last heat decider with Pickering again battling hard in second place, whilst reserve switch Edwards forced an error from Drew Kemp whilst ahead of his reserve counterpart.

With the Lions leading 43-41, a 5-1 was required for Sheffield to snatch it at the death - and despite the hosts having choice of gate positions, it was the Holder brothers who flew out the starts to secure the first win of 2024 for the reigning champions.

The Tru7 Group Tigers are next in action when they host King’s Lynn at Owlerton next Thursday (April 18, 7.30pm).

Leicester 44: Ryan Douglas 11, Max Fricke 10+1, Richard Lawson 6+2, Sam Masters 6+1, Luke Becker 6+1, Drew Kemp 3, Joe Thompson 2.

Sheffield 46: Jack Holder 12+1, Chris Holder 9+2, Kyle Howarth 7, Josh Pickering 7, Jason Edwards 5+1, Tai Woffinden 5, Dan Gilkes 1+1.