Speedway: Sheffield beat Birmingham to go top, despite missing Jack Holder

With grand prix star Holder missing for family reasons, the Tru7Group Tigers dug deep, in a victory which included a win for 16-year-old guest rising star William Cairns, in what was his first every ride in the Rowe Motor Oil Premiership.

The 50-40 victory was sealed in heat 14, after Lewis Kerr and Justin Sedgmen combined to put the match out of reach of the visitors, with a 5-1.

Holder’s absence meant both sides operated rider replacement, with the visitors missing Keynan Rew, who was riding in Poland.

Tigers started the meeting strongly, with a first heat win for Sheffield with Anders Rowe leading from the gate, ahead of Birmingham Tobiasz Musielak, who impressed on his return to Owlerton. Kerr taking a rider replacement ride, third. 

Heat two saw 16-year-old William Cairns ride his first race in the Premiership. And he marked it a victory, leading from the gate ahead of Birmingham 's Sam Hagon, Ben Barker third in  a 3-3. celebrating with a victory lap for the home crowd.

Tigers extended their lead with a 5-1 in heat three, Josh Pickering leading comfortably from the start, and Kerr holding off Paco Catagna to take second. 

Heat four saw Chris Holder lead from the gate, staying just ahead of Matej Zagar. A few bike length behind them, Hagon held off the battling challenge of Cairns to take third in another shared heat. 

The visitors took their first heat advantage in heat five, Musielak leading from the start ahead of Pickering. Kerr was originally in third but was passed at the end of lap one by Jonas Jeppesen, and then failed to finish, with mechanical problems. 

Taking a rider replacement ride in heat six, Chris Holder led from the start as Tigers took another 5-1. Rowe held off Zagar,  with Ben Barker some way behind. 

But in the next race,Holder could not a way past heat seven winner Jeppesen, with Catagna taking third in a 4-2 for Birmingham. 

Rowe led from the start to win heat eight, ahead of Hagon and visitors rider replacement Zagar, third, in another shared heat. 

Birmingham brought in Musielak as a tactical substitute for Barker in heat nine. The change worked, Musielak taking first ahead of Pickering, with Zagar taking third after a third lap pass of Kerr. 

Hear 10 saw a feast of overtaking, with Rowe passing Catagna at the end of lap one to take third, and Pickering finally passing Jeppesen on lap three to win the heat. 

Chris Holder won heat 11 by some distance, ahead of Musielak. Barker took third, with Sedgmen unable find a way past in a 3-3. 

Heat 12 saw Hagon, in as a reserve switch for Barker, and Jeppesen surge out of the tapes to put the Brummies in the driving seat. But Pickering battled back from third, picking off first Jeppesen, and then Hagon on lap three, to win what ended a shared heat. 

Chris Holder shot out of the gate in heat 13, finishing well ahead of Brummies Zagar, second, and Musielak, third. 

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Tigers finally clinched the meeting with a 5-1  in heat 14, as winner Kerr and second placed Sedgmen led from the gate, Hagon in third. 

With the match won, Musielak won head from the gate, Holder in second. Pickering finished third, Zagar withdrawing shortly after being overtaken by Picking.

Sheffield 50: Chris Holder 16, Josh Pickering 14+1, Anders Rowe 9+1, Lewis Kerr 6+1, Will Cairns 3, Justin Sedgmen 2+1, Jack Holder r/r

Birmingham 40: Tobiasz Musielak 14+1, Sam Hagon 8+1, Matej Zagar 7+1, Jonas Jeppesen 7+1, Ben Barker 2+2, Paco Castagna 2, Keynan Rew r/r.