SHEFFIELD came up with a solid team display as they beat champions Ipswich 51-39 at Owlerton on Thursday.
With no joy in securing guest cover at No.1 for injured star Jack Holder, each of his six Tigers’ team-mates contributed at least one paid victory each as they ended their run of three fixtures without a win.
The Steel City side started on a bright note with Leon Flint and Jye Etheridge heading successive 4-2s.
But after a shared race in the third, the visitors then pulled back level with a 5-1 in Heat Four when skipper Josh Pickering had to come off the throttle with his potential run blocked off bend two.
That was followed by a defining section of the fixture though as Sheffield registered four heat advantages in the space of five races.
First, Chris Holder and Leon Flint combined for a 5-1 before a fired up Pickering made it back-to-back race wins - one with Etheridge in third for a 4-2.
Anders Rowe and Luke Killeen then made light work of another big 5-1 in Heat Eight before Flint held off a hard charging Tobiasz Musielak for a 4-2 with Chris Holder as the Tigers led 33-21.
Rowe made it two wins in a row to take the flag in a shared Heat Ten before drama in Heat 11.
SCB Referee Chris Durno put the red lights on after Pickering was deemed to have moved at the start - but as the Sheffield skipper began coming to a halt down the back straight, Ipswich captain Danny King failed to take evasive action, clattered into Pickering forcing both of them off their machines.
Pickering was laid on the track for over five minutes yelling in agony - but after another five minutes sat up talking to paramedics he walked back to the pits feeling a bit second hand.
But that didn’t stop him dusting himself off to come back out in the re-run and add another race win to his chart with a ride that brought the loudest, admirable, cheer of the night.
Chris Holder then took the win a third straight 3-3 before the visitors kept the meeting alive with the 5-1 they required in Heat 13.
And whilst Scott Nicholls claimed Heat 14, the minor placings secured by Etheridge and Flint was enough to secure victory with a race to spare before Holder and Pickering rounded off with a fine 5-1 to seal a 12 point margin ahead of the return at Foxhall at the end of August.
Tigers’ team manager Simon Stead said: “I’m relieved to get a win on the board to be honest with you.
“We’ve been in a bit of a sticky patch since losing Jack at No.1 so I felt like it’s been a long time coming to get another win.
“So I’m pleased we’ve got this one over the line because Ipswich are a strong opposition - we saw that when they put in a good performance at their place against us last week.
“But this was a gutsy performance from the lads and the commitment from them all really shone.”
Sheffield are now two points ahead of King’s Lynn in fourth and are back in action next Thursday (July 30, 7.30pm) when they host Northampton at Owlerton.
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R2 SHEFFIELD 51: Josh Pickering 12+1, Chris Holder 12, Leon Flint 10+3, Anders Rowe 8, Jye Etheridge 5, Luke Killeen 4+1, Jack Holder R/R. IPSWICH 39: Richard Lawson 10, Tobiasz Musielak 9+3, Scott Nicholls 5+2, Danny King 5+1, Tom Brennan 5, Jason Edwards 3, Nathan Ablitt 2.
