VICTOR PALOVAARA spared the blushes of his boss – by winning the meeting for Glasgow with a sensational swoop on the visiting No.1.

The Swedish reserve came up trumps when he was thrown into heat eight against Peterborough last night in a rain- affected match at the Peugeot Ashfield Stadium.

The 21-year-old replaced fellow-reserve Adam Roynon in a tough-looking encounter with the Panthers’ top man Ulrich Ostergaard.

But despite ending up third after leaving the tapes, Palo-vaara went past team-mate James Sarjeant and then hunted Ostergaard down, racing past him on the home straight entering the last lap.

He held on for the win to take the Tigers two ahead – and that was enough to win them the meeting as the racing was abandoned after heat 10.

The result of 31-29 stands and gives Glasgow another three Premier League points in their pursuit of the play-offs, with Peterborough gaining one.

Team manager Stewart Dickson revealed afterwards how he’d put his faith in Palovaara over the guesting Roynon.

He said: “He won us the match. We weren’t picking up the third places and they add up to 3-3s where they should be 4-2s.

“Victor had a difficult start to the day and I told him before heat eight, when I made the change, that I’d put my neck on the line for him – because Adam Roynon was far from pleased to get taken out of heat eight, which he thought was his easiest programmed ride.

“I said to Victor, you need to go out and do the business, and prove that it was the right call. I think everyone was firing him up before he left the pits and it worked for him. We know what he can do, but he needs to believe himself a little bit more.”

A grinning Palovaara said: “In the first two heats, I think I stayed too much on the white line. After two or three laps in my second heat, I tried to move out a bit, and I felt I had the speed. So in my third one I went for the outside and it worked.”

Meanwhile, Tigers have signed Czech rider Hynek Stichauer as their new reserve.

The 28-year-old, who raced for Berwick earlier this season before being forced out with injury, comes in to replace Dimitri Berge following his departure from the club two weeks ago.

He joins on a 4.56 average and is set to make his Tigers debut next Monday at home to Plymouth Devils, subject to BSPA approval.

Dickson said: “He’s always been in the main body of his teams. He got a wee injury and lost his place at Berwick but we’re hopeful he can come in and do a job.

“We’re not asking him to score sevens, eights and nines - if he rides to his average he’ll keep the balance of the team, which is important.

“We’ve managed to skip through July pretty unscathed - and results-wise, pretty good - but it’s getting a bit tight, so we need to strengthen up.”

Dickson moved quickly to snap up Stichauer as he was aware that plenty of clubs will be in the market for riders who currently don’t have UK team places, in order to cover for their own injury problems.

He added: “We actually touched base with him a couple of weeks ago, when we knew there was a problem arising with Dimitri.

“We’ll see how he gets on - I’m sure he can do a job at reserve.”

Stichauer started his UK career with Wolves in 2009 and later rode for Stoke, Berwick and Plymouth. In 2005, he was the Czech Under-19 Champion. He rode in this year’s Peugeot Open at Glasgow, scoring six.

Glasgow have announced more riders who will line up in next month’s Peugeot International Speedway Championship.

They are Edinburgh and Australian duo Sam Masters and Justin Sedgmen, up-and-coming Slovenian rider Ziga Kovacic, Dutchman Nick Lourens and the Tigers’ own Englishman James Sarjeant.