SHEFFIELD Tigers fought off a brave Glasgow side to secure a 56-38 Premier League win at Owlerton on Thursday.

The 18-point lead will be handy to take to Scotland for the return leg on Sunday with Tigers looking for all three-points.

Joel Parsons romped to his best return for the Tigers since joining the club in the close season with three classy wins to head the home scorechart with a well-earned paid 13
But it wasn't plain sailing for Sheffield as the Scots made them fight all the way for the win points.

After four heats the scores were locked at 12-12 until a 5-1 from Andre Compton and Ben Wilson set Sheffield on the victory path.

After nine races the hosts had opened a 12-point gap but Glasgow looked set to claw back vital points when George Stancl, on a tactical ride, shot from the tapes in heat 11 - only for Parsons to put in a superb ride and pass the Czech star on the third thrilling lap and make sure the heat was squared.

A 5-1 from Ricky Ashworth and Parsons in heat 13 made it 49-31, although the Scots stemmed the tide when home riders Ben Wilson and James Cockle clashed in the 14th and both were sent sprawling on the third turn. Wilson was wrongly excluded for causing the stoppage and in the re-run, reserve Paul Cooper, in for the injured Cockle, put in a terrific ride to outpace tactical substitute Shane Parker, although Parker's double points did give Glasgow their only heat advantage of the night.

Parsons looked set for his first maximum for Sheffield when he shot from the gate with Ashworth in the finale, but Parker blasted from the back to deny him a full house.
Both Ashworth and Compton recovered from first ride blips to win their remaining heats, while Parker was best for the visitors with 14.

TIGERS: J. Parsons 12+1, A. Compton 12, R. Ashworth 9, B. Wilson 7+1, P. Cooper 6+1, J. Birkinshaw 6, J. Cockle 4.

GLASGOW: S. Parker 14, G. Stancl 8, T. Leverington 4+1, L. Smethills 4+1, D. McAllan 4, R. Ksiezak 3+3, L. Dicken 1