A Sarjeant major performance helped Glasgow reach the Premier League play-off final in a thrilling encounter against Somerset.
Reserve James Sarjeant posted 16+2 is in his best-ever match in Tigers colours in a semi-final that went to a last-heat decider.
The sides were level on aggregate going into heat 15 today – heat 30 of the fixture overall – meaning it could go either way.
But home skipper Aaron Summers sealed his second maximum in as many weeks, with Richard Lawson finishing third, to win 91-89 and set up a mouthwatering final against Edinburgh that’s set to top the League Cup tie the Scottish sides battled out just a few weeks ago.
Great Feeling
Sarj, 21 – who beat both the Rebels’ top men in separate races – said: “It’s a great feeling – we’ve just got to do it next week when it counts.
“The track was good, we had good support from the fans, and everything went well for us. I enjoyed it.
“Every point counts, and I didn’t really know the score throughout the match. I just went for it and tried to get us through.”
Team manager Stewart Dickson was thrilled with the performance and says it’s one of the biggest meetings the Peugeot Ashfield Stadium has ever seen.
He said: “That’s what speedway is all about. I’ve been coming here since we opened at Ashfield in 1999 and I have never heard a noise like I’ve heard today.
“I’ve seen it on the telly with other clubs, and I was at the play-off final last year with Edinburgh and Somerset – and I want those days and those nights at Ashfield. We’re getting them.
“It was superb today. In heat 15 our boys held their nerve and did the business.”
He added: “We started off like a train. They couldn’t handle the grippy track, but it started to slicken off a bit and they came back into it.
“I knew they wouldn’t just roll over – I knew it was going to be tough. But we got there in the end.
Dream Final
“I think, north of the border, we’ve all got the final that we wanted. Scottish speedway should be very proud of itself tonight – two teams in the final, fighting it out for the league.
“It’s going to be a great occasion and it’s just great to be part of it. We just can’t wait for next weekend.”
Sarjeant’s performance helped the Tigers on a day when Finn Kauko Nieminen was withdrawn from the match with a recurrence of the injury that forced him out earlier in the season, and Swede Victor Palovaara had an off-day.
Injury Setback
Dickson said: “Kauko unfortunately suffered another collarbone injury and it’s a real shame, because he’s had one bit of bad luck after another.
“Victor had a poor day as well after being so good last week.
“When you have riders that maybe have an off-day, you do need a reserve to step up to the plate. James was fantastic today.
“Jonas B Andersen rode him really hard in heat 14 and he dusted himself down and got back up. He was very special today.
“But again, Aaron Summers got 14+1 – just fantastic. He’s now getting overlooked because it’s expected of him – he’s so dominant here.
“We win as a team, the whole lot of us, we’ve done it and we’re in the final.”
The first leg is at the Peugeot Ashfield Stadium on Friday at 7.30pm followed by the return leg at 7pm on Saturday at Armadale.
Tigers scorers: James Sarjeant 16+2, Aaron Summers 14+1 (paid maximum), Richard Lawson 9, Nick Morris 7, Hynek Stichauer 2+1, Victor Palovaara 1+1, Kauko Nieminen 0 (withdrawn).