Speedway:Sheffield Tigers' Cubs in last ditch defeat against leaders Leicester
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Sheffield went into heat 13 two points ahead, having led for most of the meeting, and were poised to remain ahead with Kean Dicken leading the race ahead of Leicester’s Max James and Arran Butcher.
But Sheffield’s Ace Piper, who had dropped only a single point in his first three heats, took a painful fall on the second bend midway through the heat as he tried to close in on the Leicester riders from fourth place.
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Hide AdThe race was stopped, and Leicester won the re-run, with Pijper excluded, by 5-1.
It put the Lions’ cubs two points ahead, leaving Sheffield needing a heat advantage in the final race of the night, with Sheffield duo of Nathan Ablitt and Luke Harrison up against Joe Thompson, the second highest points scorer in the league, and Max James.
Ablitt and Harrison finished behind Thompson in a 3-3 heat, as Leicester kept up their 100 per cent record in the league.
Co-boss Paul Tatam said: “The lads did very well, they were brilliant.
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Hide Ad“Heat Six, Mickie (Simpson) blew and engine and then Ace crashed in Heat 14 whilst we were on a 4-2 - if those two things don’t happen, we’d have been the first team to beat them.
“Had we gone into Heat 15 four up, I’d have fancied our chances and based on the result, we’d have got over the line.
“But I couldn’t ask for much more from the lads, it was a great effort all considered.”
Sheffield Tigers Cubs 44: Nathan Ablitt 13, Mickie Simpson 6+1, Stene Pijper 3+1. Ace Pijper 8, Luke Harrison 10+2, Kean Dicken 4, Jamie Etherington 0
Leicester Lions Cub 46: Joe Thompson 14, Sonny Springer 0, Tom Spencer 5+2, Luke Crang 3+3. Max James 14+1, Arran Butcher 10+1
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