Sponsored by
Tigers pipped as Hall crashes out
Somerset Rebels 48 Sheffield Tigers 42
TOP Tiger Richard Hall suffered a suspected broken bone in his foot as Sheffield went down to a frustrating late defeat at Somerset in last night's Premier League clash.
But the teak-tough racer is expected to take his place in the side to face Newcastle tomorrow night.
With Somerset clinging to a fragile two-point lead, Sheffield looked to be onto a winner when Hall and Chris Mills shot from the tapes in heat 14 – only for Hall to lose control and crash heavily, with Mills also biting the dust.
Hall received lengthy medical treatment and was excluded from the re-run, although Mills picked himself up to notch a superb win from the back and take it to a last-heat decider.
But Aussie duo Steve Johnston and Cory Gathercole made certain of the victory as they overpowered Ricky Ashworth and Paul Cooper in the finale, although Tigers did take a bonus point for their efforts.
It had all started promisingly for Sheffield, despite being without Josh Auty following a crash the previous night.
Ashworth got them off to a good start by beating Johnston in the opener and then Cooper and Mills carded Tigers' first 5-1 in heat 2.
The Rebels hit back in the next race only for Hugh Skidmore to pass Somerset's Simon Walker in heat 5 with Ashworth doing likewise to put the visitors 17-13 up.
In a see-saw match, Rebels again levelled when Cooper and Skidmore couldn't stop Walker and Emil Kramer in heat 9 before Joel Parsons pulled off a fine win in the next race when he beat Johnston, with Hall's extra point putting Tigers two points up.
The next two heats were squared leaving Sheffield 37-35 up with three races to go.
But it all went awry in heat 13 as Johnston finally made amends for his earlier blips by teaming up with Cory Gathercole for a 5-1 which put the home side ahead for the first time and they went on to make certain of a third successive win against the steel city outfit.
Tigers now head for Newcastle tomorrow in a must-win match, with Hall expected to ride despite his injury, although Auty is likely to remain on the injured list.
SOMERSET: C. Gathercole 14 , S. Johnston 11+2, E. Kramer 8+1, S. Walker 8+1, T. Brown 3+1, N. Simmons 2+2, J. Sedgman 2.
TIGERS: R. Ashworth 10+1, P. Cooper 8+2, C. Mills 7, R. Hall 6, H. Skidmore 6, J. Parsons 5+2.
Got a view? Add your comment below.
FREE E-MAG: Click here to read our Twenty20 Cup 2009 e-mag for FREE on line.
BUY ONLINE: Buy The Star - Monday to Saturday - for local news, sport, features and ads. Sign up on line by clicking here.
READ MORE
Football headlines.
Football gossip.
Blades news
Owls news
Reds news.
Millers news.
More rugby.
More boxing.
Sports columnists.
All sport categories
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Sheffield
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: East
