Speedway: Sheffield crash out of KO Cup against rampant Lions
Sheffield crashed out of the KO Cup with their first home defeat of the season, at the hands of Leicester.
Already trailing by 18 points after losing the away leg 54-36, the Tru7Group Tigers made a bad start after losing the toss, failing to win a heat advantage until heat six, when they were already 12 points down on the night.
Tigers got off to the worst possible start, as the visitors Max Fricke and Kyle Howarth produced a 5-1, Fricke taking first, Anders Rowe in third and Jack Holder last
Justin Sedgmen won heat two, but his Tigers team mate Nathan Ablitt, guesting at rising star, was unable to hold onto an early third place, and was passed by Joe Thompson in a 3-3.
By the end of heat three Tigers were eight behind, Ryan Douglas finishing ahead of Kyle Howarth in another 5-1 for the visitors, skipper Josh Pickering in third for Sheffield.
Sedgmen was brought in on a reserve switch for Sheffield in heat four, and he led after the first lap, before Leicester's Sam Masters overtook on his way to winning the race. Lions Joe Thompson finished third ahead of Chris Holder.
By the end of heat five Leicester were 12 clear, Douglas flying from the start ahead of Tigers’ Pickering. Lewis Kerr held third place for while before Fricke found a way through in a 4-2.
Tigers finally won a heat advantage, 4-2 in heat six, Jack Holder leading from the gate. Drew Kemp took second ahead of Rowe, with Sam Masters failing to finish, with mechanical problems early on.
Tigers pulled another two points back in heat seven, Chris Holder leading from the gate to beat Douglas. Sedgmen, who had been closely chasing Howarth for third, finally got into third place when the Lions number four suffered bike problems midway through the last lap, failing to finish, as Sheffield won 4-2 again.
Lions put Fricke, their number one, in as their rider replacement for Luke Becker in heat eight, and he won at a canter ahead of Rowe, who passed Thompson to take second, Ablitt in fourth.
Tigers suffered another 4-2 loss in heat nine, Pickering failing to make it off the line, Masters winning the heat ahead of Kerr. The heat had been re-run after being stopped after a moving start from Kerr, who had led when the red lights went on. Kemp was third.
Leicester secured their place in the final after heat 10. Howarth had led for much of the race before Jack Holder passed him on the first bend of the final lap, Rowe taking third in a 4-2 to the Tigers.
Tigers took another 4-2 in heat 11, Chris Holder leading from the gate to beat Fricke into second. Masters suffered mechanical problems as soon as the tapes went up, with Ablitt scoring his first point of the night with third place.
Pickering picked up his first heat win of the night as points were shared in heat 12, with Douglas second and Kemp third.
Jack Holder won heat 13 ahead of Fricke, who had to battle to stay ahead of a close challenge from Chris Holder, third in a 4-2.
Tigers finally achieved a 5-1 in heat 14, as Kerr won the heat ahead of Sedgmen, Howarth in third, to set up a chance for Tigers to at least win on the night, with the scores at 41-43 going into the last race.
But Fricke took the heat 15 win, despite a close battle with Jack Holder, with Chris Holder in third, to hand Tigers their first home defeat of the season, 44-46.
Sheffield 44: Jack Holder 11, Chris Holder 8+1, Justin Sedgmen 8+1, Josh Pickering 6, Anders Rowe 5, Lewis Kerr 5, Nathan Ablitt 1.
Leicester 46: Max Fricke 12, Ryan Douglas 10, Sam Masters 8, Kyle Howarth 7+2, Drew Kemp 6+1, Joe Thompson 3+1, Luke Becker r/r.
Leicester win 100-80 on aggregate