Tigers need big lead from home event!!

SHEFFIELD PIRTEK TIGERS are two matches away from reaching a major national final - starting at Owlerton on Thursday (7.45pm) 2.45 et . They face the new Premier League champions Rye House in the first leg of the Jack Young Shield semi-final, a play-off competition which featured the top eight finishers in the Premier League and there is no doubt Sheffield will need a bumper first leg lead from Thursday to take into the return at Rye House on Saturday (7pm) 2pm et. Co-boss Neil Machin said: "Our two tracks are like one extreme to the other. We have a big, fast and wide open track and yet Rye House have a very tight circuit."Therefore, we both have home track specialists in our team although perhaps that's unfair on Rye House because they are the new league champions and they've won at several places this season."Rockets boss John Sampford has issued a rally cry to his side who are without the services of influential top man Stuart Robson. He said: "We surprised the speedway world by winning at Exeter, another of our bogey tracks, and there's no reason to believe that we can't do enough in the first leg to place ourselves with an excellent chance of going through to the Final."Rye House will use the rider replacement facility to cover for the absence of Robson, with every other team member available to cover his four programmed rides. Tigers, meanwhile, hand David McAllan another chance to impress in place of the injured Paul Cooper. TIGERS: Sean Wilson, Ben Wilson, Ricky Ashworth, Richard Hall, Andre Compton, David McAllan, Kyle Legault. RYE HOUSE: Stuart Robson R/R, Edward Kennett, Brent Werner, Daniel King, Chris Neath, Steve Boxall, Tommy Allen.