THE Belle Vue ‘BikeRight’ Aces have booked their place in the 2021 Premiership Grand Final after a stunning 48-42 victory over the Sheffield Tigers.
The aggregate scores stood at 50-40 in favour of the home heroes ahead of the action at the National Speedway Stadium, with the Tigers eager to get their claws into the deficit.
And it seemed like they would do just that early doors as they laid out their intentions on the shale with a clutch of races swinging in their favour.
But for every heat advantage they secured, the BikeRight Aces would respond in kind and the scores were constantly deadlocked from one track grade to the next.
41 was the magic number that Mark Lemon’s side needed to hit to be certain of aggregate victory, and that moment came in Heat 14 in the best possible way.
Bagging the only 5-1 for the BikeRight Aces, it was 2019 British Champion Charles Wright and Jye Etheridge who finished the job and sent Belle Vue into the Grand Final.
Skipper Steve Worrall said: “If we hadn’t brought that 10-point lead from Sheffield, then this would have been a much more stressful meeting.
“The Tigers rode very well and we just couldn’t seem to gain an advantage until the final few races, so it just proves how vital every point can be.
“If we roll back time to a couple of months ago, we had been beaten at home and away and desperately needed to find some form. So to look at the team now just proves how far we’ve come.
“There was a sense of confidence in the team that we could finish the job we came here to do, and the atmosphere with all the supporters cheering was just amazing.
“We now look ahead to the Grand final and the Peterborough Panthers. Hopefully Brady [Kurtz] will be back with us for that and we can do what needs to be done to win that title.”
The BikeRight Aces will face Peterborough in Manchester in Leg 1 of the Grand Final on Monday, October 11 with the deciding leg at the East of England Arena on Thursday, October 14.
Ticket information and hospitality details for the meeting at the National Speedway Stadium will be communicated very soon via our official website and social media.
RESULT – BELLE VUE V SHEFFIELD – THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7 [POSF L2]
Belle Vue ‘BikeRight’ Aces 48: Dan Bewley 15, Richie Worrall 10, Jye Etheridge 9+1, Steve Worrall 7+2, Charles Wright 6, Tom Brennan 1, Brady Kurtz r/r
Sheffield ‘TruPlant’ Tigers 42: Jack Holder 13, Josh Pickering 7+1, Adam Ellis 7, Connor Mountain 7, Troy Batchelor 4+1, Kyle Howarth 4+1, Danyon Hume 0
Belle Vue Win 98-82 on Aggregate