BELLE Vue opened their competitive Premiership League Cup campaign with a fiercely contested battle against Sheffield on Monday night, with the visitors just edging out the ATPI Aces 44-46.
Early teething troubles saw the home team struggle to make an impact on the powerful Tigers offensive, who took control of proceedings quite comprehensively in the opening races.
Their advantage stretched to 8 points after just five heats, but there could be no ruling out the ATPI Aces who made a point of commencing their comeback just 4 laps later.
Max Fricke and Jye Etheridge began chipping away at the deficit in Heat 6, and a succession of 4-2s and shared races saw them draw level with their local rivals at 30 apiece after 10 heats.
Things ultimately boiled down to a last-heat decider with the TruPlant Tigers clinging to a narrow 2-point lead, until Jack Holder and Adam Ellis obliged with a final 5-1 to seal the deal.
While not the result Belle Vue had wanted, club No.4 Charles Wright says there were plenty of positives to take from meeting.
He said: “I think this result really came down to gate positions; gates one and three were quite the favourable gates early on and it did play a part in Sheffield gaining such a lead.
“But we did well to fight back the way we did. There is a real fighting spirit in this team and we just lost out in Heat 15 which was very disappointing.
“There’s no reason we can’t go to Owlerton and do the exact same thing to them. Norick [Blödorn] and Jake [Allen] just need to settle in for a few meetings and I’m sure they will come good.
“For me, it was nice to find a setup that really worked for me. I was lacking speed all of last year so it feels really good to be back in the big points.
“I believe that when we’re all firing, we will be tough to beat. This is a team of racers and every point scored tonight was vital. Nothing is won in March, we just need a little time to get going.”
The ATPI Aces head to Sheffield on Thursday, April 7 for the Owlerton leg of their Premiership League Cup campaign, with the next home action on Good Friday, April 15.
The Cool Running Colts take on Plymouth at the national Speedway Stadium while the ATPI Aces return home on Easter Monday, April 18 against Wolves. Tickets now available at bellevue-speedway.com
RESULT – BELLE VUE V SHEFFIELD – MONDAY, MARCH 28 @ 7:30PM [SGBP LC]
Belle Vue ‘ATPI’ Aces 44:Max Fricke 10+1, Charles Wright 10, Brady Kurtz 9+1, Tom Brennan 6, Jye Etheridge 4+1, Norick Blodorn 3+1, Jake Allen 2+1.
Sheffield ‘TruPlant’ Tigers 46:Jack Holder 13+1, Adam Ellis 13, Richie Worrall 9+2, Kyle Howarth 5, Stefan Nielsen 4+1, Connor Mountain 2+1, Craig Cook r/r
League Cup Points: Belle Vue 0 Sheffield 3