LEICESTER kept up their recent momentum by taking two league points from their 45-45 draw at champions Sheffield on Thursday.
The Watling JCB Lions produced a battling display to force a Super Heat - where they missed out on an additional third point.
Five of the first seven races were shared with two 4-2s from the hosts the only separating factor in the first half of the fixture.
Heat One saw skipper Max Fricke miss the gate with Richard Lawson able to split home pairing Jack Holder and Kyle Howarth.
Guest reserve Antti Vuolas scored a solid second behind Jason Edwards in Heat Two whilst Rising Star Sam Hagon was on hand to take advantage of a mistake by Dan Gilkes on bend four.
In Heat Three, with Josh Pickering clear out front, Sam Masters settled in for second whilst Luke Becker forced his way under Howarth on the final lap before Ryan Douglas provided the Lions with their first race winner in the fourth.
The majority of the action in the second set of races was settled from the gates with the Lions trailing 23-19 with seven gone.
Jack Holder, unsurprisingly, won his Rider Replacement outing in Heat Eight whilst Lawson had to work extremely hard for his second place after a real tussle with Gilkes.
Three 3-3s followed, the last of which came in Heat 11 as Fricke worked his way under Chris Holder on bend three, lap one - and with the Lions still six down, Stewart Dickson put Fricke straight back out as a Tactical Substitute.
The Aussie was clear and gone, and despite his best efforts, Masters had to tuck in for third behind Howarth for a 4-2.
Fricke looked set to make it three straight wins in Heat 13, but Jack Holder produced a fabulous ride as the hosts responded with a 4-2 of their own.
Luke Becker continued his improvement on the night by taking the win in Heat 14 and when Vuolas passed Edwards mid-race, the contest was going down to the wire.
That was where Becker and Fricke fought their way to the front from the gates and a point for the draw was added to the aggregate point they had already secured.
Sheffield won the toss for gate positions ahead of the Super Heat and this time Becker and Fricke couldn’t close in on the Holder brothers as they narrowly missed out on an additional third league point.
Said Fricke: “If you’d have told us we would come away with this result before the meeting, we would’ve taken it.
“Plusses and minuses but the home boys are good here, especially when it comes to Heat 15 and they know their way around.
“But it’s great for Leicester, everyone rode well and to come away with a draw, we’re pretty happy.”
The Watling JCB Lions are back to sitting two points outside the top four after Oxford’s last gasp home win over Birmingham.
Stewart Dickson’s side are back on the road on Monday (August 5, 7.30pm) when they travel to King’s Lynn.
SHEFFIELD 45: Jack Holder 13, Chris Holder 11, Josh Pickering 9, Kyle Howarth 6, Jason Edwards 4+1, Dan Gilkes 2+1, Tai Woffinden r/r.
LEICESTER 45: Max Fricke 12+1, Luke Becker 11+1, Ryan Douglas 7, Sam Masters 5+2, Richard Lawson 5+1, Antti Vuolas 4+1, Sam Hagon 1+1.
Sheffield beat Leicester 7-2 in Super Heat
Leicester win the aggregate point
Photo credit: PHIL McGLYNN
