SHEFFIELD collected all three league points on offer as they beat Oxford 49-41 at Owlerton.
It was a third straight success for the Tru7 Group Tigers who moved level with their opponents in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership with a 92-88 aggregate victory.
The Steel City side always appeared in control with debutant Craig Cook, who won five out of his six rides, and Rohan Tungate the main reason the visitors remained in the contest.
Four 4-2s in the opening five races saw the Tigers open up an eight point lead with Chris Holder taking two heat victories whilst brother Jack and Tai Woffinden also claimed one apiece.
Back-to-back 3-3s followed; first, Cook got the better of Kyle Howarth and Jack Holder before Woffinden made it two from two.
Rising Star Dan Gilkes led a 4-2 in Heat Eight before Chris Holder worked away to split Cook and Chris Harris on the last lap of Heat Nine to deny the visitors a 5-1.
Jack Holder and Howarth combined for their second 4-2 of the night in the tenth before Oxford replied with successive 4-2s of their own - the second of which again saw Chris Holder split the visiting duo.
That reduced the gap to six on the night and two on aggregate, but Woffinden and Jack Holder stepped up to the plate to deliver their first 5-1 of the night.
Josh Pickering again missed the gate in Heat 14, but the Aussie was committed as ever as he found a way by Tungate but couldn’t quite catch Cook.
Oxford could still have forced a Super Heat for the aggregate point with a maximum in Heat 15 - and they did indeed sit on a 5-1 in the early stages.
But Jack Holder and Woffinden had enough in the tank to also get by Tungate as the Tigers continued their winning run.
Next Thursday (May 9, 7.30pm) sees the visit of Roses rivals Belle Vue to Owlerton in the deciding leg of their Knockout Cup Quarter-Final.
SHEFFIELD 49: Tai Woffinden 12+1, Jack Holder 11+2, Chris Holder 10, Dan Gilkes 5+1, Kyle Howarth 5, Josh Pickering 4, Jason Edwards 2. OXFORD 41: Craig Cook 16, Rohan Tungate 10, Erik Riss 7, Maciej Janowski 4, Chris Harris 3, Charles Wright 1+1, Ashton Boughen 0. Sheffield win the aggregate point 92-88.
