SHEFFIELD missed out 49-41 in a last heat decider in their league opener at King’s Lynn on Monday.
The Tigers fought their way back into contention after a ten point deficit at the end of Heat Six, but couldn’t manage the required 5-1 in the finale to snatch the draw.
Jack Holder and Anders Rowe opened with a 4-2 but the hosts bagged a 5-1 in Heat Two to edge ahead themselves.
A dicey Heat Three saw Chris Holder and Leon Flint take the minor placings in a shared race before King’s Lynn registered three straight advantages to establish their ten point lead.
Flint and Chris Holder then hit a 4-2 though before Rowe and Killeen halved the deficit with a quick-starting 5-1 in Heat Eight.
However, the Stars responded with a maximum of their own to move back eight in front.
A wonderful first corner from Chris Holder saw him take the win in a shared Heat 10, before Rowe and Jack Holder worked together perfectly over the opening laps of Heat 11 for another Tigers 5-1.
Chris Holder made it back-to-back race wins in Heat 12 before a 4-2 from Josh Pickering and Jack Holder moved them back to within two after Heat 13.
Flint was able to split Ben Cook and Cooper Rushen in the penultimate race, but after a fast start by home No.1 Max Fricke in the decider, the Holder brothers then appeared to get in each other’s way creating an opportunity for Chris Harris to produce a quality move for a final 5-1 for the Stars.
Sheffield team manager Simon Stead said: “Again, we’re disappointed as a group and it’s a difficult one to swallow because I think over the course of the meeting, we were better value than coming away with an eight point defeat.
“It was a topsy-turvy meeting and we never got to deploy our tactical opportunity despite us having a plan up our sleeve for maybe two or three of the races as it went on.
“There’s still plenty we need to work on collectively, we’re still lacking in one or two areas which is costing us at the minute and we need improvement in order for us to achieve the better results we’re all after.”
The Tigers are back in action a week on Thursday (May 7, 7.30pm) when they host reigning league champions Ipswich in their first home ROWE Motor Oil Premiership fixture of the campaign.
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP KING’S LYNN 49: Chris Harris 12+2, Max Fricke 12, Cooper Rushen 10+1, Jody Scott 7+2, Ben Cook 5+1, Jan Kvech 3, Paco Castagna R/R. SHEFFIELD 41: Chris Holder 10, Jack Holder 8+1, Anders Rowe 7, Leon Flint 6+1, Josh Pickering 6, Luke Killeen 2+1, Jye Etheridge 2.
