BROTHERS Jack and Chris Holder were the heroes as Sheffield grabbed a dramatic last heat victory at Leicester, the Aussies’ 5-1 sealing a 46-44 victory at Leicester.
The Lions seemed favourites to take the points after Max Fricke and Ryan Douglas had out gated Jack Holder and Tai Woffinden for a heat 13 maximum which gave them a two-point lead in a dramatic ROWE Motor Oil Premiership clash.
No more than four points ever separated the teams and the lead changed hands four times with both teams dropping points through falls and mechanical issues.
For Sheffield, Woffinden and Chris Holder were the victims while Leicester saw Richard Lawson excluded after a heat one fall and Sam Masters’ suffering ignition problems which saw him coast over the line without power, allowing Woffinden to pass him and take the flag.
A series of Sheffield race victories including Jack Holder defeating Douglas in the battle of the unbeaten riders in Heat 11, put them 37-35 up with three races to go.
Fricke and Douglas turned that on its head in 13 before Luke Becker produced his best ride of a tough night by holding off the hard-charging Josh Pickering in heat 14 after Drew Kemp spun out trying to pass Jason Edwards setting up the dramatic last heat decider.
Jack Holder, 12+1, and brother Chris, 9+2, dominated the Sheffield scoring on a night when Woffinden was restricted to just five points.
For the Lions Douglas, 11, and Fricke, 10+1, led their challenge.
A disappointed Leicester team manager Stewart Dickson said: “Getting beaten in the last race is hard to take, especially when you’re leading by two points going into it.
“We had choice of gates for Heat 15 and automatically went with the same riders and gates as 13, and then when you see their two riders jump out of the start your heart just sinks.
“But we can’t make any excuses. Sam Masters had a bit of bike trouble but so did Tai Woffinden and Chris Holder, so these things even themselves out.
“We’ve just got to keep going. I still think we’ve got a decent side; we just need to get the one-to-seven going collectively.
“The motivation is still there in the pits, and although we don’t have a divine right to win every meeting we should have enough about us to win here.
“If we had a bad defeat then I could have a pop at the riders, but everybody gave their best, which is all you can ask for, it’s done and now we need to get on to Monday night.”
The Lions make the short trip to Birmingham on Monday before welcoming Belle Vue to the east Midland next Thursday (April 18).
Sheffield welcome King’s Lynn to Owlerton next Thursday in what will be their first home meeting of the season.
Leicester: Ryan Douglas 11, Max Fricke 10+1, Richard Lawson 6+2, Sam Masters 6+1, Luke Becker 6+1, Drew Kemp 3, Joe Thompson 2.
Sheffield: Jack Holder 12+1, Chris Holder 9+2, Kyle Howarth 7, Josh Pickering 7, Jason Edwards 5+1, Tai Woffinden 5, Dan Gilkes 1+1.
Words by George Dodds.
Images by Taylor Lanning.