SHEFFIELD Tigers let an early lead slip in their 49-44 Premier Trophy defeat at Stoke.

In a topsy-turvy contest the Potters gained their first win of the season - but the Sheffield Window Centre-backed Tigers claimed a consolation point for losing by less than six.

Skipper Ricky Ashworth was top man for the Owlerton side with 15+1 from his five outings - including a maximum six from his tactical ride to keephis side in the hunt.

Sheffield were 9-3 up early on but slumped to a 14-point deficit before Ashworth's tactical outing, followed by a Richard Hall and Paul Cooper maximum, did the trick.

And at 41-40 with two races to go the travelling Tigers fans had their hopes raised of a stunning win - only for Taylor Poole and Klaus Jakobsen to kill them off in the penultimate heat.

Skipper Ashworth said: “This meeting was one we needed to win and we didn’t so we have to be disappointed from the point of view, but at least we got a point from it.”

STOKE: Taylor Poole 13+2, Hynek Stichauer 11+1, Klaus Jakobsen 10+4, Ricky Wells 6+2, Michal Rajkowski 6, James Holder 3, Jason Bunyan 0.

SHEFFIELD: Ricky Ashworth 15+1, Josef Franc 8+1, Paul Cooper 6+1, Josh Auty 5, Richard Hall 5, Arlo Bugeja 3, Hugh Skidmore 2+1.