Flyin’ Ryan boost for Scorpions

AUSTRALIAN Ryan Douglas is all set to ride for the FluidAir Power Scunthorpe Scorpions at the Eddie Wright Raceway this afternoon (Bank Holiday Monday, 3pm), as the North Lincolnshire side take on the Peterborough Panthers in the second leg of their first round Premier League Knockout Cup tie.

The Scorpions need to win by four points or more, after a narrow 43-46 loss last Tuesday in the first leg at Peterborough.

20-year-old Douglas, who has been in sensational form for the Scorpions around the Eddie Wright Raceway so far this season, only took two rides in the 40-55 defeat at Plymouth on Friday, after suffering a wrist injury in a Heat 4 fall. However, fears that he may have suffered a break to the wrist have proven to be unfounded.

Scunthorpe promoter Rob Godfrey said: “Obviously we’re very relieved that Ryan is OK. It would have been difficult to cover for his absence.

“It’s a big boost to have him back, but it doesn’t mean the result of the meeting is a foregone conclusion by any means. We’re certainly not going to be too complacent.

“We did very well to hold Peterborough to just a three point margin at their place in the first leg, especially as we were 10 points down early on in that meeting. But we still have a job to do at the Eddie Wright Raceway this afternoon, which is to win by four points or more.

“It’s 15 races down, 15 races to go, and we need to make sure at the end of those 15 races that we have the result we require to go through to meet Plymouth in the next round.”

The Peterborough Panthers have a couple of familiar faces in their line-up. Lewis Blackbird rode for last season’s Scunthorpe Scorpions, while Oliver Greenwood was a regular for the Scunthorpe Saints National League team in 2012.

There are 30 heats of action in total this afternoon, as the Henderson Insurance Scunthorpe Stags are pitted against the powerful Coventry Storm in a National League meeting in the second half.

It is both Peterborough and Coventry’s first ever visits to the track, in the 10-year history of the Eddie Wright Raceway.

Admission prices for this afternoon:

Adult: £17.00
Student/OAP: £15.00
Child (10 – 17): £5.00
Child (0 – 9) Free (accompanied by paying adult)
Family Ticket £39 (2 adults, 2 Children 10-17)
Match Programme: £1.00

Teams for this afternoon:

FluidAir Power Scunthorpe Scorpions: 1. Josh Auty, 2. Nicolai Klindt, 3. David Howe, 4. Ashley Birks, 5. Ryan Douglas, 6. Matt Williamson, 7. Thomas Jørgensen.

Peterborough Panthers: 1. Ryan Fisher, 2. Lewis Blackbird, 3. Ales Dryml, 4. Ulrich Ostergaard, 5. Lasse Bjerre, 6. Joe Jacobs, 7. Oliver Greenwood.

Henderson Insurance Scunthorpe Stags: 1. Steve Jones, 2. Arron Mogridge, 3. Danno Verge, 4. Michael Neale, 5. Sam Chapman, 6. Ryan MacDonald, 7. Reece Downes.

Coventry Storm: 1. Jon Armstrong (guest), 2. R/R for Luke Crang, 3. Marc Owen (guest), 4. Dan Greenwood, 5. Oliver Greenwood, 6. Ryan Terry-Daley, 7. Martin Knuckey.