SHEFFIELD’S hopes of a play-off place took a massive blow with a 42-36 home defeat by Redcar at Owlerton.

And it was Tigers asset Ben Wilson who was the hero for the visitors. On loan to the Teesside club for the season, he notched 13+1 just 10-days after suffering a broken heel.

The meeting was ruined by heavy rain and was abandoned after 13 heats – but the result stands.

For the Sheffield Window Centre-backed side, Joel Parsons' alarming slide in form continued as he failed to score and Josh Auty also struggled as for the second successive week Tigers won fewer races than the visitors.

Skipper Ricky Ashworth did get to grips with the bad conditions from the off, winning his first three races, although Richard Hall and reserve Scott Smith were the only other home riders to see the chequered flag first.

Eric Boocock’s men now have four remaining matches to rescue their season, starting with a quickfire return against the Bears in Middlesbrough tonight.

TIGERS: R. Ashworth 10, R. Hall 8, S. Smith 6, H. Skidmore 5, C. Mills 4+1, J. Auty 3, J. Parsons 0.
REDCAR: B. Wilson 13+1, T. Proctor 10+1, C. Stonehewer 6+1, R. Kessler 5+1, A. Bugeja 4, S. Swales 1.