Northampton Foxes 'stunned' as late collapse gifts Premiership win to Sheffield
Promoter Paul Hunsdon admitted to being 'stunned' as Northampton Foxes threw away an eight-point lead in the final four races to lose 48-42 to Sheffield Tigers at the International Shaleway Stadium in Brafield on Thursday night.
Foxes looked to be coasting to only a second ROWE Motor Oil Premiership win of the season after dominating the opening two thirds of Thursday's encounter.
The rot started when heat 12 was lost 4-2, and the Tigers then roared back to win the final three heats 5-1 to complete a remarkable turnaround and secure the win, leaving the Foxes rooted to the bottom of the table.
The Tigers were inspired by former world champion Chris Holder and his brother Jack, with the pair combining for maximum results in heats 13 and 15.
The collapse is a massive frustration for everybody at the Foxes, who in the opening 11 heats had turned in arguably their best performance of the campaign, and they have now lost five of their six Premiershp matches.
“This is a real hard one to take," admitted Hunsdon.
"It’s the first time we’ve really been in control of a meeting and we’ve managed to not get over the line and it’s really, really disappointing.
“There are a lot of disappointed people in the pits, and as a management we’re a little bit stunned and shocked really with how it’s turned out.
“We were so in control of the meeting with four heats to go, so it’s hard to take.
"You can’t really point fingers at anyone, and no rider is going to turn up and have an off-night on purpose, but it’s just really frustrating.”
"In Heats 13 and 14 we just seemed to find ourselves in the wrong place at the wrong time on the track, and when you’re up against the Holder boys in Heat 15, both on a high and fantastic riders, it’s going to be tough.”
And he added: “We need to pick ourselves up as a team, what’s happened has happened and we have to put it behind us and concentrate on the next meeting.
"If there any lessons to be learnt, they will be addressed over the next week or so.
“We win as a club and lose as a club so we will stick tightly together, and what we need to do to put things right will be done.”
The Foxes have more than a week to stew on their late Tigers mauling as they are not due to race again until Monday, June 29 when they entertain Ipswich at Brafield.
Result
Northampton Foxes 42: Nicolai Klindt 9+1, Kye Thomson 9+1, Jaimon Lidsey 7+1, Luke Harrison 6+2, Troy Batchelor 6, Jonas Jeppesen 3, Lewis Kerr 2.
Sheffield Tigers 48: Chris Holder 16, Jack Holder 12+4, Anders Rowe 8+1, Leon Flint 7+2, Jye Etheridge 4, Luke Killeen 1, Josh Pickering r/r.