This is Plymouth --Plymouth Devils...51 Sheffield Tigers...42
PLYMOUTH Devils recorded a welcome victory and put distance and seven points between them and second-bottom Premier League visitors Sheffield Tigers at St Boniface Arena last night.
Devils go into tonight's meeting at Ipswich Witches (7.30pm) knowing they are on course for their best ever finish in British speedway's second tier.
Devils co-promoter David Short said last night: "We are pleased with the result. It moves us away from the bottom and closer to teams above us.
"It's always pleasing to win well and all the riders contributed, and we were particularly pleased with Jake Anderson.
"Sheffield aren't the strongest opposition at the moment, but it's always good to win ahead of a road-trip."
Devils were in control of last night's meeting and remained undefeated in the first four heats and led 16-8.
Tigers took heat five 4-2 before a 5-1 Devils maximum in heat eight stretched their lead to 29-19.
Tigers number one, guest rider Richard Lawson took heat one, but Jake Anderson and guest Richie Worrall were second and third for Devils respectively to seal an opening 3-3.
Anderson and Todd Kurtz sealed a Devils one-two respectively in heat two, clinching the 5-1 and opening up an early 8-4 lead over the visitors.
Tigers' former Devil Ricky Wells won heat three, but Rasmus Jensen and Michael Palm Toft combined to secure the 3-3 and maintain the overall gap.
Mark Lemon and Kurtz were first and second respectively in heat four, dominating Tigers Andre Compton and Facundo Albin and clinching another home 5-1 to open up a 16-8 advantage on the night.
Heats six and seven saw Tigers steady the ship and secure back-to-back 3-3s to leave the score at 24-18 heading into heat eight when Kurtz and Toft faced Compton and Albin.
Kurtz won it with Toft second in a Devils 5-1 which swelled their lead to 10 points, 29-19.
Tigers and Wells took a tactical ride in heat nine, which he won, but with no support and Devils' Jensen and Toft second and third, the visitors only secured a 6-3 to cut the gap overall to 32-25.
Devils came out and immediately responded in the heat of the night in 10.
An electric gate from Anderson saw him stay in front all race ahead of a titanic struggle for second place between Tigers' Wells and Devils' Worrall.
Worrall went up the inside of Wells along the home straight on lap one before, coming out of bend two on lap two, Wells went up the inside of Worrall.
On the same lap Worrall rode the boards coming out of bend four, passing Wells with a hard move and that's how it stayed.
All that equalled another Devils 5-1 and a dominant 37-26 lead overall.
Heats 11, 12 and 13 were all traded 3-3 before Devils won heat 14 4-2 and Tigers took heat 15 5-1. Reported by This is 1 hour ago.