Amazing fightback by weakened Tigers after crash takes out two men

Compton and Cockle were out of the match, leaving the Brummies intent on snatching the three points.

But trump card Paul Cooper came to the rescue with a magnificent seven-ride performance to avert a home defeat.

Birmingham’s new signing Henning Bager flew from the tapes in heat five. Trying to block the hard-chasing Compton on the back straight, he clipped the Tiger’s front wheel, sending him sprawling. Cockle couldn’t avoid the carnage and ploughed into his teammate.

With the ambulance on track it looked worrying, but Compton escaped with heavy bruising and Cockle had a leg injury. Both miss tonight’s league clash at Edinburgh.

Bager was excluded for causing the crash, but Tigers, already running rider replacement for the injured James Birkinshaw, were left with skeleton resources.

The response from the Owlerton men was tremendous as they blew away the Birmingham hopes.

Cooper was the hero, with 19 points including four classy wins from seven rides. His haul included a stunning ride in heat 11 to fend off both Bager and Manuel Hauzinger and follow Joel Parsons home for a 5-1.

He and Parsons scored another maximum in heat 14.

Brummies pair Henrik Moller and Ben Powell stormed out of the start but the Sheffield duo swept round in a classic fourth turn pincer movement and hung on for four laps.

Ricky Ashworth and Ben Wilson finished with a 5-1.

n TIGERS: P. Cooper 17+2, R. Ashworth 14+1, B. Wilson 11+2, J. Parsons 10+1, J. Cockle 2+1, A. Compton 2, B. Hopwood 1.

n BIRMINGHAM: J. Lyons 13, B. Powell 10, H. Moller 4+1, M. Hauzinger 4, L. Smart 3+2, H. Bager 2+1.