Sheffield Tigers Speedway boss goes with instinct in win as Peterborough lie in wait

The Tru Plant Tigers beat the Wolves 46-44 last Thursday thanks to a last race 5-1 from their top two riders of Jack Holder and Adam Ellis.

There were lengthy discussions and plenty of deliberation in the Tigers’ pits ahead of the decider with Stead knowing his picks would be crucial.

With Tobiasz Musielak looking quick as he rounded off his programmed rides with back-to-back wins and Kyle Howarth showing plenty of speed also in the penultimate race, there were certainly a number of options available to Stead.

But the team manager put his faith in his top duo and his faith in them was rewarded perfectly.

“I think sometimes you’ve just got to go with your gut and that’s what I did,” Stead said.

“I put the programme aside and just went with who I thought could do what I needed them to do off the gates that we were left with.

“I stopped overthinking it, just went with my gut and fair play to the lads they got it done.

“Once I knew the gate positions and knew they’d chosen one and three, I knew they were just going to put someone off the inside to win the race and try and get the 3-3 because gate three had hardly done anything all night.

“So once I’d had a chat with the lads and knew what we needed to do off the given gates, it was kind of irrelevant with who they went for.

“We knew we needed a 5-1 to win and that’s what we went a got.

“I don’t think we’re riding at our best just yet. I think we’ve had a little dip of form but we have to take confidence in that because we’ve beaten a very good Wolves side when we weren’t necessarily at our best so we have to take heart in that and I think it was a good night all round in the end.

“The racing was good later on in the meeting, I think the scoreline obviously kept it interesting, there was good crowd in so the Sheffield faithful went home happy and so did I.”

On Monday the Tigers head to reigning Champions Peterborough (7.30) – who are surprisingly yet to register a league point this term.

“I’d like us to start building a bit of momentum now,” Stead said.

“We know Peterborough will be difficult though.

“They may be going through a real rough patch right now but Speedway can turn around in a heartbeat.

“Results might not have been going their way of late but Rob Lyon (Peterborough team manager) will have his side fired up I’m sure and we’ll need to be at our best.

“It is a track our boys like and somewhere where we’ll be looking to capitalise on them not being in the best of form though.

“At the same time we’ll not be taking anything for granted that’s for sure.”

Tigers will hand a debut to Jake Allen who signed in place of Stefan Nielsen on Friday.