Speedway report: Sheffield Tigers 51 Scunthorpe Scorpions 41

Flying No.1 Josh Grajczonek was inspirational again as Sheffield beat Scunthorpe 51-41 to get back to winning ways in front of a bumper crowd.

The Aussie ace struck a stunning 15 point maximum to continue his dream first season in Tigers colours.

Despite being without reserve duo Rob Branford and Jack Parkinson-Blackburn, Simon Stead’s men battled all the way to record their first win in four.

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It was tense early on with two points separating the two sides, but the sixth and seventh races proved decisive.

After they had to settle for a 3-3 behind Lewis Kerr in the third, Josh Bates and Lasse Bjerre were fired up in their next outing.

With Scorpions No.1 Michael Palm Toft also determined to make amends for his zero in the opener, close knit action was guaranteed in the fifth race of the night. It was the Tigers duo who both had lightning reactions to gain an early advantage and both Bates and Bjerre team rode superbly side-by-side to fend off Palm-Toft.

While Grajczonek made another super gate to ease to two out of two, all the action happened behind him in the next. Todd Kurtz and former Tiger Josh Auty battled it out, but the Sheffield No.2 kept the throttle open the high line and held onto second as the hosts recorded their first vital maximum heat advantage of the evening.

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That opened up a 26-16 lead for the hosts and enabled the visitors to nominate Tero Aarnio for double points in the eighth. The Scunthorpe duo gated on an 8-1, but thankfully Kurtz came up with yet another impressive third outing to round the pairing on the opening lap and force them to settle for a 5-3.

With the Bates and Bjerre combination linking up once again in the ninth for successive 5-1s, for the pairing, Sheffield opened up a 12-point lead and put themselves in a strong position with the latter stages approaching.

And while Scunthorpe hit back with a maximum of their own in heat 11, the Tigers were able to register three of the final four race winners to hold on to a welcome three SGB Championship points.

It keeps the Owlerton outfit in a strong position as they prepare for the tough trip to Peterborough this Sunday.

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SHEFFIELD 51: Josh Grajczonek 15, Josh Bates 10+1, Lasse Bjerre 8+3, Todd Kurtz 6+1, Kyle Howarth 6, Josh Pickering 4, Jack Smith 2+2

SCUNTHORPE 41: Lewis Kerr 11, Tero Aarnio 9, Josh Auty 7, Ryan Douglas 5+2, Carl Wilkinson 5+2, Michael Palm Toft 4+2, Chris Widman 0