Reading give Sheffield mountain to climb.
Sheffield have a mountain to climb to reach the Young Shield play-off semi-finals after a 58-34 defeat at Reading. They went into the meeting without Sean Wilson, Andre Compton and Andrew Moore and used Glasgow's George Stancl and Emiliano Sanchez of Hull along with the rider-replacement facility.
It was never likely to be a strong enough team to match the Racers, who are so powerful on their own track after investing heavily in the team during the winter.
Sheffield have a mountain to climb to reach the Young Shield play-off semi-finals after a 58-34 defeat at Reading. They went into the meeting without Sean Wilson, Andre Compton and Andrew Moore and used Glasgow's George Stancl and Emiliano Sanchez of Hull along with the rider-replacement facility.
It was never likely to be a strong enough team to match the Racers, who are so powerful on their own track after investing heavily in the team during the winter.
And yet it all started so well for Sheffield who raced into a 10-2 lead with two successive maximum 5-1 wins, although the first race was lucky as Danny Bird retired with mechanical problems.
Reading bounced back with two successive 5-1 wins of their own to pull the scores level and the turning point came in the middle part of the meeting. Disaster struck for Sheffield as the Berkshore men tore into them with
three straight maximums to go 37-23 up and there was no way back.
Stancl was nominated for double points in Heat 11 but he only managed second spot behind the unbeatable Matej Zagar, who must be heading for an Elite League spot next term.
Zagar and Birds piled on the agony for Tigers with a maximum over Stancl in Heat 13 and they did the same in the last race, Heat 15. It was a disappointing meeting after Tigers had started so well and they now have a mountain to climb in the return leg at Owlerton this Thursday.
