SHEFFIELD opened their home league campaign with a tenacious 52-38 victory over defending champions Ipswich.
Quite remarkably, the contest opened with eight straight shared races leaving the scores at 24-24 at the halfway point, but the Tigers clicked into gear in the second half with five heat advantages in the final seven races proving to be the difference.
In Heat Eight, it was the visitors who looked set to finally break the deadlock as they sat on a 5-1, but a smart mid-race move from Rising Star Luke Killeen on former Tiger Jason Edwards saw him go second which also encouraged Anders Rowe to wind it on and grab third.
Sheffield did then take the lead as Leon Flint got amongst the points ahead of the previously unbeaten Chris Holder with a 5-1 in Heat Nine.
That was immediately followed by another when Jack Holder powered his way through the Witches to join Anders Rowe out front in Heat 10.
The visitors struck back with a maximum of their own in Heat 11 before Chris Holder’s winning run continued whilst Killeen steamed under Edwards on bend three for a 4-2 to go six up.
That lead was extended to ten points in Heat 13; Jack Holder was away and gone whilst Josh Pickering produced a sublime move to go from last to second on bends three and four of the opening lap.
A second successive race win for Leon Flint officially clinched the win with a race to spare after Killeen cleared the track following an opening lap spill.
But with Jye Etheridge already withdrawn with a wrist injury sustained in an awkward Heat Seven spill, the Tigers were then dealt another blow in Heat 15.
A very tight bend two saw paid maximum man Chris Holder and Ipswich skipper Danny King both hit the deck hard; the Sheffield man unable to take his place in the re-run as a precaution with a neck injury.
Captain Pickering was called into the line-up and he took the chequered flag in a final 5-1 of the night after Jack Holder also charged underneath former team-mate Tobiasz Musielak in a thrilling finale.
Said Pickering: “It was a tough night.
“They hit the ground running and definitely made it hard for us with all those shared heats.
“Ipswich are a strong side with the way they’re built and we were up against tough opposition.
“But credit to the track staff; they had a little bit more dirt to play with tonight and it probably suited me.
“Once we get a few home meetings on the bounce and get the starts exactly how we want them, and the track, I feel we can be a force to be reckoned with once again.”
Sheffield are back on home shale next Thursday (May 14, 7.30pm) when they entertain British Speedway newcomers Northampton.
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R1 SHEFFIELD 52: Chris Holder 11+1, Josh Pickering 11+1, Jack Holder 10+3, Anders Rowe 7+2, Leon Flint 6, Luke Killeen 5+1, Jye Etheridge 2 IPSWICH 38: Danny King 11+2, Tobiasz Musielak 8, Richard Lawson 5+2, Scott Nicholls 5, Tom Brennan 5, Jason Edwards 4+1, Daniel Klima 0
