SHEFFIELD will need to overturn a 12 point deficit in their ROWE Motor Oil Premiership play-off semi-final decider against Belle Vue later this week after a 51-39 defeat in Manchester on Monday.
The Tru7 Group Tigers let a number of points slip in the early stages before a last race 5-1 from the hosts saw them leave the National Speedway Stadium the happier of the two sides.
The Aces opened with a 4-2 with Jack Holder splitting Brady Kurtz and Norick Blodorn and it looked like the Tigers were going to respond in Heat Two. But home reserve Antti Vuolas produced a fine final lap to deny Jason Edwards victory.
Sheffield gated on a 5-1 in Heat Three and whilst Chris Holder held on comfortably out front, Josh Pickering suffered ignition problems and was passed by both Aces riders by the end of the first lap.
Guest Chris Harris and Rising Star Dan Gilkes took the minor placings behind Dan Bewley for a shared Heat Four before the Tigers registered their first heat advantage of the night in the fifth when Jack Holder got the better of Ben Cook whilst Howarth finished ahead of Jaimon Lidsey for third.
Belle Vue bagged the first 5-1 of the night in Heat Six before Chris Holder picked up his second win of the night in Heat Seven before Pickering packed up whilst in third.
Heat Eight saw Howarth and Gilkes on a 5-1 out of bend two, but a thrilling race saw the hosts turn the result on its head to open up an eight point lead.
That soon became ten when Lidsey re-passed Harris to lead a 4-2 in Heat Nine before Chris Holder made it three from three whilst Pickering secured his first point of the night with a smart move under Blodorn.
Some more stunning racing unfolded over the next four heats which were all shared, with Jack Holder taking the flag in Heats 11 and 13 with Pickering coming to the party in Heat 14 with the gap still at eight.
But the Holder brothers couldn’t do anything about a quick start from Bewley and Lidsey in Heat 15 as the Aces secured one final 5-1 to leave the tie in a very interesting position ahead of the decider at Owlerton this Thursday (September 19, 7.30pm).
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP PLAY-OFF, SEMI-FINAL, 1st leg BELLE VUE 51: Dan Bewley 12, Jaimon Lidsey 11+2, Brady Kurtz 9+1, Antti Vuolas 5+2, Norick Blodorn 5+2, Ben Cook 5, Jake Mulford 4+1. SHEFFIELD 39: Jack Holder 12, Chris Holder 11, Chris Harris 5, Josh Pickering 4, Dan Gilkes 3+3, Jason Edwards 2, Kyle Howarth 2.
