Speedway: Glasgow Tigers boss Stewart Dickson maintains his belief in side

May 9 2012 By Fraser Wilson

Joe Screen raced to a stunning 15-point maximum but couldn't prevent defeat against Leicester

STEWART DICKSON insists Glasgow Tigers will be in the mix for Premier League honours come September despite opening their title defence with a home defeat on Sunday.

Tigers lost the battle of the big cats with Leicester Lions 46-44 at Ashfield.

But a change in the league format this season will see all teams finishing in the top six going into a play-off for the title at the end of the season.

And Dickson is keen to ensure his men are among the contenders come September. He said: “We’ve not had a great start but our season is all about the league this year.

“I am still very confident we can get it right and earn a place in the top six, and after that anything is possible.

“I know our team are nowhere near the level we want them to be but we are working on a few things at the moment and we will see what happens.”

Lions edged a nip and tuck meeting on Sunday despite Glasgow captain Joe Screen notching a superb 15-point maximum including a last-bend swoop in the final heat to pass Leicester’s No.1 Magnus Karlsson.

But there just wasn’t enough support from the rest of the Tigers on the day with Josh Grajczonek and Jayden O’Malley enduring a torrid afternoon.

Dickson still has faith in his fledgling outfit and said: “Jayden is starting to show some flashes, while Mason Campton has been a star, so we are in a decent position.

“Especially if we can get the two reserves (Jade Mudgway and Robert Ksiezak) firing the way we know they can.”

Glasgow travel to Scunthorpe on Friday in their final League Cup fixture and then go to Plymouth in the Knockout Cup the following Friday.

The next Ashfield action is against Redcar on Sunday, May 20.