SHEFFIELD left Belle Vue empty handed as they were beaten by the reigning Champions for the first time at their fourth attempt in 2023.

The Tru Plant Tigers faded in the second half of the fixture in Manchester and eventually slipped to a 52-28 defeat - also being denied the aggregate point on the penultimate lap of the final race.

Sheffield drew first blood in the opener when Tobiasz Musielak and Kyle Howarth combined for a 4-2 - a result which went the way of the hosts in the next two races.

That was before former triple World Champion Tai Woffinden won his first race as a Tiger in Heat Four.

The British Grand Prix star then played a huge role in getting Sheffield back in front in Heat Six, team-riding alongside Lewis Kerr in the early stages for the first maximum of the contest.

The Owlerton outfit then moved four ahead when Adam Ellis got the better of GB team-mate Dan Bewley to lead a 4-2 in Heat Seven - but the hosts drew level with their first 5-1 in Heat Eight.

Woffinden’s unbeaten night extended to a third ride when he won the ninth, but little did the Tigers know that that would be their last race win of the night.

Belle Vue registered five advantages in the final six heats in a disappointing finish for the Tigers who dropped out of the play-off places following Ipswich’s win at Peterborough.

Sheffield now find themselves three points behind the Witches in the league table, but they do have five meetings in hand over the Suffolk side.

The Tru Plant Tigers return to Owlerton this Thursday (August 10, 7.30) for another crunch clash against fellow play-off hopefuls Leicester.

SPORTS INSURE PREMIERSHIP R2
BELLE VUE 52: Jaimon Lidsey 13+1, Dan Bewley 12+1, Connor Bailey 7+2, Brady Kurtz 7, Tom Brennan 5+1, Charles Wright 4, Norick Blodorn 4.
SHEFFIELD 38: Tai Woffinden 10+1, Tobias Musielak 10, Adam Ellis 6, Lewis Kerr 5, Kyle Howarth 4+2, Josh Pickering 3, Dan Gilkes 0.
Belle Vue win the aggregate point