Speedway: Every point crucial in Sheffield’s play-off against Wolverhampton, warns skipper Kyle Howarth

Sheffield hold a four point lead over Wolverhampton going into the meeting on Thursday (October 6, 7.30), after winning in the West Midlands on Monday night to end Wolves' four match winning streak at Monmore Green with a 47-43 victory of their own.

It was another close contest throughout.

The South Yorkshire side have now been set as favourites to progress through to the Grand Final to face Belle Vue and go into their home leg of the semi-finals on the back of eight straight wins at Owlerton - the last of which was their biggest of the season. But their last home defeat was by Wolves in May.

Tigers captain Kyle Howarth insists there is still plenty of hard work ahead of them.

He said: “It’s the play-offs at the end of the day and anything can happen.

“I’ve been in play-offs before and I’ve been around them and I’ve seen some strange things happen.

"A four point lead is something we’re very happy with but the attitude for us now is that it’s 0-0 again.

“We need to treat it as though there’s no advantage, that we need to go again and that it’s a fresh page.

MORE: Sheffield Tigers speedway: Simon Stead explains attraction of speedway

“Every point is going to be crucial so we just have to stay calm, stay patient, don’t do anything stupid and just keep doing what we have been doing.

“It’s not going to be easy though; Wolverhampton have got some good riders who always seem to go good around Sheffield so we need to be on it from the get-go."

Both teams are at full strength with the visitors including former Australian Champion Sam Masters, former American Champion Luke Becker and the recently crowned British Under-21 and Under-19 Champ Leon Flint.The club are also hoping to help create a noisy atmosphere on Thursday night by handing out free whistles to the first 100 children through the turnstiles.SHEFFIELD: Jack Holder, Lewis Kerr, Adam Ellis, Kyle Howarth, Tobiasz Musielak, Justin Sedgmen, Connor Mountain.WOLVERHAMPTON: Sam Masters, Steve Worrall, Luke Becker, Ryan Douglas, Nick Morris, Drew Kemp, Leon Flint.