Speedway: Picko 'gutted' as Sheffield miss out on final by single point at Leicester
Sheffield skipper Josh Pickering admitted he was ‘gutted’ as Tigers missed out on a place in the 2025 Rowe Motor Oil Premiership Grand Final by a single point.
The Tru7 Group Tigers were beaten 47-43 at Leicester on Monday - resulting in a heartbreaking 90-89 aggregate defeat which saw them denied in the very last race.
Pickering afterwards described the narrow defeat as very hard pill to swallow.
He said: “Proud of my team’s efforts all season to get us into a semi final position. To say that I’m gutted with the result is an understatement. “
Sheffield conceded a 5-1 in the opener before Anders Rowe and Jye Etheridge responded with a maximum of their own in the battle of the reserves.
Former Tigers’ skipper Kyle Howarth then led a 4-2 for the hosts before reserve substitute Rowe made it two from two as he and Pickering levelled at 12-12.
Howarth and Ryan Douglas then combined for their second 4-2 for the Lions before Pickering took the flag in the first shared race of the night, with a solid ride to get the better of home captain Max Fricke.
Guest Maciej Janowski held on for second place in Heat Seven in a photo finish as he split the home duo of Drew Kemp and Sam Masters before Etheridge and Rowe replied with a 4-2 with the former sustaining some big pressure from American Luke Becker.
The hosts then won the next four races with three further 4-2s in that fold - but many thought at the time a potential turning point took place in Heat Ten.
Leicester sat on a 5-1 going into the final lap, but chain problems for Becker caused him to slide off his machine.
Going into Heat 13, the pressure was mounting on the Tigers with them five down on aggregate. But No.1 Jack Holder produced a stunning ride to get by Fricke whilst Pickering took third.
Janowski then produced a brilliant gate in Heat 14 with Rowe getting the better of Kemp for back-to-back 4-2s - and that took the contest down to the wire.
The Tigers required a heat advantage to progress - and the initial staging saw Jack Holder and Pickering jump out on a 5-1 after deferring their gate selection until Heat 15.
But home man Douglas leant across Holder into the first turn and earned a re-run with all four riders.
And whilst Holder and Pickering gave it their all, there was no catching Fricke who flew away from gate four to edge it for Leicester.
Sheffield’s senior side are in action for the final time this Thursday (September 25, 7.30pm) as they host Ipswich in their final outstanding fixture of the campaign.
Leicester 47: Max Fricke 12+1, Kyle Howarth 9, Ryan Douglas 8, Luke Becker 6+1, Sam Masters 6, Drew Kemp 6, Joe Thompson 0.
Sheffield 43: Jack Holder 10, Anders Rowe 10, Josh Pickering 8+1, Maciej Janowski 6+1, Jye Etheridge 5+1, Chris Holder 4, Leon Flint 0.
Leicester win 90-89 on aggregate