Speedway: Superheat drama as Leicester late rally takes Sheffield to the wire

Having trailed throughout the meeting, Lions won both heats 14 and 15 to level the scores, before brothers Jack and Chris Holder finally secured the two points for the Tru7Group Tigers in the superheat after the meeting had ended 45-45. But the result meant the visitors took the aggregate point, having won in Leicester by 16 points

Boss Simon Stead was disappointed that it took a superheat, and feels the team is still suffering from the absence of three time former world champion Tai Woffinden, who has said he hopes to return to action for the visit of Birmingham to Owlerton on August 15. He is out following a serious elbow injury.

Stead said: “A draw is not really what we’re about at Sheffield. But I think we’re struggling with RR (rider replacement) for Tai. It’s incredibly difficult position in the team to fill, almost impossible, so, I think that’s taken a lot out of us. I’m just glad that we’ve come away with the league points tonight because we’ve been up against it. Leicester really came and hit us hard, and ultimately took it to a superheat. It’s great for the crowd, they get an extra heat, but not good for my nerves, but I’m just proud that the lads got it done in the end.”

He said Jack and Chris Holder dealt with the pressure superbly in the superheat. He added: “If the Holder brothers can’t deal with the pressure in that situation, you’re talking about a former world champion and someone who is right there in the grand prix standings. We’re fortunate in that respect that we’ve got people in the team that can deal with that pressure.

“It was nice that we got the job done in the end, but we know that we need to improve quite significantly. We’re not on a great run at the moment. We’re limping home a little bit. Some improvement would be good - we’ll work hard on it.”

Sheffield led the meeting against Leicester from heat one, when Jack Holder and Kyle Howarth secured a 4-2 heat advantage over Max Fricke and Richard Lawson, Fricke finishing last.

From there, a run of four 3-3 scorelines was ended when Holder and Josh Pickering secured another 4-2, and then Sheffield extended their lead to six points at the end of heat eight, won by Jack Holder ahead of Richard Lawson, who had to battle a strong challenge from Tigers Dan Gilkes, who passed him twice during the race. But Gilkes had to settle for third place.

Leicester did not gain a heat advantage until heat 12, a 4-2 race won by tactical substitute Max Fricke, although Sheffield restored the six point margin with a 4-2 of their own in heat 13, Jack Holder reeling in what was at one stage a big lead by Fricke, before passing his fellow Australian on the last lap.

The visitors then won heat 14 by 4-2, Pickering just failing to pass American Luke Becker on the line. That left Leicester needing to win 5-1 in the final heat to force a super heat. Fricke and Becker led from the gate, ahead of Jack Holder and Pickering, with third placed Holder unable to find a way past second placed Fricke.

But the Holder brothers ensured a Sheffield victory in the super heat, Jack finishing just ahead of Chris with the pair leading pretty much from the start, with Becker back in third.

The result keeps Sheffield second the the Rowe Motor Oil Speedway Premiership table, four points behind leaders Ipswich, who beat King’s Lynn 57 - 33, and nine points ahead of fifth placed Leicester, who have ridden two fewer meetings.

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Sheffield 45: Jack Holder 13, Chris Holder 11, Josh Pickering 9, Kyle Howarth 6, Jason Edwards 4+1, Dan Gilkes 2+1, Tai Woffinden r/r.

Leicester 45: Max Fricke 12+1, Luke Becker 11+1, Ryan Douglas 7, Sam Masters 5+2, Richard Lawson 5+1, Antti Vuolas 4+1, Sam Hagon 1+1.

Sheffield beat Leicester 7-2 in Super Heat

Leicester win the aggregate point

Table: Ipswich 18 34, Sheffield 18 30, Belle Vue 18 26, Oxford 20 23, Leicester 16 21, King’s Lynn 15 11, Birmingham 17 6