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Speedway: Leicester Lions still top cats in Premier League

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Leicester Lions extended their lead at the top of the Premier League table with a 46-44 win at Sheffield Tigers.

The Harry Jordan Haulage-sponsored Lions were without one of their star performers for Thursday night's match, Magnus Karlsson having committed to ride for his Swedish club, Ornarna.

Lions drafted in a National League guest for Karlsson and, with Jan Graversen clearly under the weather having been confined to bed all week with an illness, the visitors were, on paper, looking weak.

But despite their worries, Leicester approached the match with vigour and the early tussles ended all square after four heats.

A promising start evaporated momentarily as Sheffield nosed ahead and by the seventh race the home side were sitting on a 23-19 lead.

James Sarjeant, who was deputising for Karlsson, earned his opportunity by winning heat eight, and Robert Branford was following closely behind only to drift slightly off his racing line on the final bend which allowed Tigers rider Facundo Albin to snatch second place at the finish line.

Nevertheless, the outcome edged the Lions to within two points of Sheffield, and it sparked a purple patch that saw Leicester win the next three out of four heats.

First of all, Alex Edberg and Kevin Doolan scored maximum points in the ninth race as the visitors took the overall lead. Lasse Bjerre then came out on top against Oliver Allen in heat 10 and, with Graversen third, Leicester's momentum continued.

The two teams shared the points in the next race, and in the 12th heat Edberg was at the centre of Leicester's second maximum score of the meeting when he teamed up with Bjerre to give the Lions a commanding eight-point lead.

Sheffield bounced back to win heat 13 and it took a courageous ride by Graversen to earn Leicester two points in the penultimate heat.

It was enough to ensure that, whatever happened in the final heat, the Lions would come away with a draw, and if either Bjerre or Nieminen scored two points, then that was enough to secure a win.

The race lasted less than one lap as Bjerre crashed and was excluded, leaving Nieminen to face the Tigers top two of Oliver Allen and Ricky Wells.

Nieminen slipped past Wells and held his position to earn Leicester the match points and their sixth consecutive win in the Premier League.

Sheffield 44: Oliver Allen 12 points, Facundo Albin 6, Joe Haines 5, Richard Hall 6, Ricky wells 10, Damien Koppe 4 and Jake Knight 1.

Leicester 46: Kauko Nieminen 9 plus 1 bonus point, James Sarjeant 5, Lasse Bjerre 11, Jan Graversen 5+1, Kevin Doolan 7+1, Alex Edberg 7+1 and Robert Branford 2.

Lions favourite and number one rider Kauko Nieminen celebrates 11 consecutive seasons in British speedway with a testimonial at the Jordan Road Surfacing Stadium tomorrow.

The meeting will open with a parade of riders at 3.45, with the first race starting at 4.0

Speedway: Leicester Lions still top cats in Premier League


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