LEICESTER are through to a second successive Premiership Knockout Cup Final after a 46-44 win over Sheffield in a fiery encounter at the Hydroscand Arena, Beaumont Park.
The Watling JCB Lions overcame the withdrawal of No.1 Ryan Douglas after a heavy crash in Heat 6 to hold off a strong fightback from the Tigers, who came back from 12 points down to force a last heat decider.
Dan Thompson’s second place in Heat 15 ensured a win on the night, although a draw would have been sufficient for the Lions to top the group.
Central to the action was a dramatic Heat 9 clash between Kyle Howarth and Tigers skipper Josh Pickering, with Howarth winning a thrilling battle to take second place behind team-mate Nick Morris, before the two riders engaged in a frank exchange of views after the race.
In the final analysis a flying start for the Lions proved crucial as Douglas and Thompson combined for a 5-1 over Jack Holder in Heat 1, and reserves Drew Kemp and Joe Thompson followed suit in the next race.
Leon Flint put Sheffield on the board by winning a shared Heat 3, as Morris and Howarth closed ranks on Chris Holder, and Pickering won Heat 4 for the visitors which also ended in a 3-3.
The Tigers clawed two points back with a 4-2 in Heat 5 thanks to a quality ride by Jack Holder who rounded Howarth at the start of the last lap, and with the gap at six visiting boss Simon Stead elected to bring Holder into Heat 6 for a tactical substitute ride along with Pickering.
After a re-start when Holder went down on turn one, the Sheffield No.1 found himself at the back in the re-run only for Douglas to pile into the fence on the second lap, and although he was able to walk away he was withdrawn from the meeting.
Holder and Pickering raced to a 5-1 in the re-run meaning Leicester had to work to build their lead again, a process they started with a 4-2 from Sam Masters and Kemp in Heat 7, and then a bonus in Heat 8 when Luke Killeen lifted on the run to the finish line and came to grief, enabling Joe Thompson to snatch third place.
Heat 9 was a thriller with Morris hitting the front ahead of a furious battle between Howarth and Pickering, who went wheel-to-wheel for over two laps with the Leicester man just winning the race to the finish line, at which point tensions boiled over and the two riders had to be separated.
After matters had calmed down Lions extended their lead to 12 points as Dan Thompson won Heat 10 with Masters in third place, and they appeared to be comfortable despite the loss of Douglas.
But Sheffield came charging back with a surprise 5-1 in Heat 11 as Anders Rowe popped out to join Jack Holder, and Chris Holder then won Heat 12 with Joe Thompson retrieving an important third place from Jye Etheridge.
Sparks were expected to fly in Heat 13 when Howarth came in to replace Douglas in a race which also involved Pickering, and it was as competitive as expected with the Tigers skipper dive-bombing the Lions duo into the third bend to link up with Jack Holder and narrow the gap to just four points.
Leicester looked set to complete the job when Howarth and Kemp gated on a 5-1 in Heat 14 only for Kemp to suffer cruel misfortune when he dropped a chain, with Howarth holding on to take the win despite Flint’s challenge.
That meant Lions needed just a finisher from Heat 15 to win the group, but they were also keen to win the meeting, and despite a stunning ride by Jack Holder to pass both Howarth and Dan Thompson off bend four, Thompson then showed mature track craft to hold back the thrusting Pickering and ensure Leicester would win on the night.
Lions manager Stewart Dickson said: “The objective was to get to the Final and we’ve done that. We had one or two problems, including Dougy coming off after he’d looked really good in his first race, and that did have a bit of an effect on us.
“But the team mucked in to cover for him reasonably enough, and obviously we’d have been eight points up if Drew’s chain hadn’t come off in Heat 14, but these things happen in speedway.
“I thought we were the better team, although it was disappointing to be eight and then 12 points up and for them to still come back into it, so that’s something we need to sort out as the season goes on.
“But we’ve qualified for the Final against Ipswich and we owe them one for last season, don’t think I’ve forgotten about that!
“Tonight there was drama and theatre, you get it at ice hockey and wrestling, and as long as it doesn’t go over the top it’s okay. It created an atmosphere, but everybody is going home safely, even Dougy who’s just a bit second hand and shaken.”
Having topped the northern group, Lions know their Cup Final opponents will be Ipswich, who secured their own progression with a win over Northampton on Thursday.
The meetings are set to take place on Monday July 27 and Thursday July 30 with the order of legs to be decided.
PREMIERSHIP KO CUP (NORTH)
LEICESTER 46: Dan Thompson 11+1, Kyle Howarth 10+1, Nick Morris 6+1, Sam Masters 6, Joe Thompson 5+3, Drew Kemp 5, Ryan Douglas 3.
SHEFFIELD 44: Jack Holder 15+1, Josh Pickering 9+2, Leon Flint 7, Anders Rowe 6, Chris Holder 5, Luke Killeen 2+1, Jye Etheridge 0.
Leicester win the aggregate point.
