BOSS Simon Stead hailed Sheffield’s professionalism after racking up a 12-point lead to take back to Owlerton in the Premiership League Cup final.
The Tru Plant Tigers rarely looked back having taken the lead in heat five, stamping their authority with a hat-trick of 5-1s late on in a 51-39 victory at King’s Lynn.
Tobiasz Musielak (12+1) was the top scorer but it was Lewis Kerr who made the biggest impression against his former club, dropping just one point to an opponent en route to 10+1.
It puts Simon Stead’s men well and truly in the box seat to banish the memory of missing out to Belle Vue in the Premiership Grand Final last week.
“The lads did exactly what I asked and expected of them,” said Stead.
“They did not let me down one little bit, they just showed their professionalism and their want to do well for this club.
“They were all disappointed with what happened on Thursday and I think we saw what that meant to them tonight, going out there, getting straight back at it and doing a fine job.
“We know we are only at the halfway stage, we know what can happen in this sort of meeting and we have not won it, we have just made life a little bit easier for ourselves on Thursday when we will have the same commitment and determination.”
The first four races were all shared with Thomas Jorgensen blasting to the front in heat one for King’s Lynn and home reserve Frederik Jakobsen producing a pair of sharp starts.
Kerr and Jack Holder broke the deadlock with a 5-1 while Josh Pickering fell in heat five and although the hosts clawed back two points in heat six thanks to a super ride by Jorgensen, Adam Ellis kept the Tigers ahead by ending Jakobsen’s unbeaten run in the next.
The gap was four again when Kerr defeated Jorgensen in heat eight with Connor Mountain sealing an important third but King’s Lynn got back on terms in heat 10 thanks to a rapid getaway from Jorgensen and Richard Lawson’s charge around the outside for a 5-1.
The Tigers hit back immediately and it was that man Kerr to the fore again in heat 11 while his team-mate Holder forcefully shut out Jakobsen off bend four.
Things got even better when Ellis bolted from the outside gate to out-trap Richie Worrall who was then passed on the inside by the tenacious Justin Sedgmen and a hat-trick of 5-1s was completed by Musielak and Holder in heat 13 to confirm victory.
Jakobsen and Pickering made their way past Kyle Howarth to claw back some points for King’s Lynn but Sheffield had the last laugh, Musielak and Ellis racing clear of Jorgensen and Jakobsen.
KING’S LYNN 39: Frederik Jaboksen 12, Thomas Jorgensen 11+1, Josh Pickering 5+2, Richie Worrall 5+1, Richard Lawson 5, Nicolai Klindt 1+1, Jason Edwards 0.
SHEFFIELD 51: Tobiasz Musielak 12+1, Adam Ellis 11+1, Lewis Kerr 10+1, Jack Holder 8+3, Justin Sedgmen 4+1, Connor Mountain 4+1, Kyle Howarth 2.
