Sheffield Tigers Speedway: 'Slow start cost Tigers pairs title', says proud boss Simon Stead

But he feels it was those first few outings which cost them a real shot at the title, as the Tru Plant Tigers had to settle for third after being knocked out in the Semi-Final by eventual winners Belle Vue.

Sheffield’s night got off to the worst possible start and they found themselves seemingly cut adrift following their opening two heats.

Stead opted to get Rising Star Dan Gilkes’ compulsory ride out the way in their first outing which resulted in a 7-2 to Belle Vue with the unique 4-3-2-0 Pairs scoring system in play.

Then, whilst on a 5-4 against Peterborough, Tobiasz Musielak made an uncharacteristic error as he came down going into bend three. By the time they were preparing for their third heat, the Tigers found themselves 11 points behind the leaders. And when King’s Lynn’s Nicolai Klindt continued his demonstration of quick gating, Jack Holder and Musielak tucked in for second and third to keep Thomas Jorgensen behind.

A 6-3 over Wolverhampton just about kept them in the mix, but a key result came when they met Ipswich as they bagged a 7-2 over the holders. The way the next few heats panned out meant it was a direct shootout between Sheffield and hosts Leicester when the two met in the final qualifying race. And despite the best efforts of home No.1 Max Fricke, Musielak held on for the win with Holder in third and a 6-3 enough to see them claim the last Semi-Final place.

But Belle Vue’s duo of Dan Bewley and Brady Kurtz made the most of their gate selection as the Tigers missed out on a place in the Final.

Said Stead: “I think it was a good effort from the boys all-in-all and it was a shame we came up a bit short in the end.

“For me, it was those early heats that cost us.

“We conceded that 7-2 in our first one, Tobi came down in the second and then Jack burnt a clutch out when there was a bit of messing about on the start line before the race against King’s Lynn.

“We regrouped after that though, we knew it needed a pretty big effort from there and fair play to the boys for turning things around and making it to the Semi.

“Like I said though, those first few heats cost us a real shot in my opinion because with a few more points from those first three races, we’d have got a better draw.

“The gate choice in the Semi was always going to be important and with gates two and four less favourable shall we say, when Belle Vue got one and three it always gave them a better opportunity of qualifying with the way things were going.

“So yes we were disappointed to bow out in the Semi but like I said, all considered it was a good effort from the lads.”

The Tru Plant Tigers are back in league action this Monday (July 3, 7.30) when they host Peterborough at Owlerton in the Sports Insure Premiership. The clubs states this fixture is not being televised or broadcast online.

PREMIERSHIP PAIRS, LeicesterQUALIFYING SCORES:PETERBOROUGH 33: Richie Worrall 23, Ben Cook 8, Jordan Jenkins 2.BELLE VUE 32: Dan Bewley 20, Brady Kurtz 12, Jake Mulford 0.SHEFFIELD 29: Jack Holder 16, Tobiasz Musielak 13, Dan Gilkes 0.LEICESTER 26: Max Fricke 19, Drew Kemp 5, Justin Sedgmen 2.IPSWICH 26: Danny King 18, Erik Riss 8, Dan Thompson 0.KING’S LYNN 22: Nicolai Klindt 22, Thomas Jorgensen 0, Anders Rowe 0.WOLVERHAMPTON 21: Steve Worrall 16, Sam Masters 5, Leon Flint 0.SEMI-FINAL: Kurtz, Bewley, Holder, Musielak – [Belle Vue beat Sheffield 7-2].GRAND FINAL: Kurtz, Bewley, R.Worrall, B.Cook – [Belle Vue beat Peterborough 7-2].