No-nonsense all-round display from Scorpions

SCUNTHORPE SCORPIONS 55 IPSWICH WITCHES 38 (PREMIER LEAGUE)

FLUIDAIR POWER Scunthorpe Scorpions powered to a 55-38 victory over fellow top-of-the-table team Ipswich Witches at the Eddie Wright Raceway yesterday evening (Friday).

With six races gone, third-placed Scorpions were already 28-8 ahead, with Ipswich, the team immediately above them in the Premier League table, having already used one of their tactical options.

All three points were safely in the bag with three heats to go, with the Scorpions 49-26 ahead. Scunthorpe have now closed the gap to Ipswich to just one point, with a match in hand.

Dane Thomas Jorgensen was a star performer from the reserve berth for the second successive meeting. Showing a great turn of speed on his recently acquired new engine, Jorgensen won races from both the front and the back. Only a shed chain at the tapes in Heat 15 cost him what had looked an inevitable maximum.

Josh Auty dropped just one point to the opposition, to Rohan Tungate in Heat 9, and he is another who is turning his season around, following recent changes to his machinery. David Howe picked up paid 12, having dropped just one point prior to Heat 15.

But this was a great all-round team performance from Scunthorpe, with four Scorpions unbeaten by an opposing rider after Heat 8.

Perhaps the most pleasing performance came from youngster Matt Williamson, a Lancastrian who is really showing encouraging signs halfway through his debut PL campaign. Williamson combined with Jorgensen to take an untroubled 5-1 over Ritchie Hawkins and Max Clegg in Heat 2.

In Heat 11, Williamson spotted a gap on the second bend, and surged under Richie Worrall and Cameron Heeps. Worrall had a battle on his hands to reclaim second from Williamson, but the Scorpion kept third ahead of Heeps.

In Heat 14, Williamson was fast from the tapes and Auty team-rode with him, as they kept back American Gino Manzares. Coming off the second bend of the final lap, Manzares clipped the back of Williamson’s bike and fell. The home rider was excluded by the referee, a decision that many in the crowd did not agree with. But for his exclusion, Williamson would have picked up a paid seven contribution.

Speaking after the meeting, Williamson said: “I’ve just been building up my level of experience. I’ve had three really good meetings with Cradley at National League level. In my last meeting, I found something with the bikes, and coming into the meeting today, I knew I’d got something sorted.

“As soon as I got a 5-1 with Thomas (Jorgensen) in my first heat, I thought I was on for a good night.

“It was a shame with the exclusion in the last race. I was in front and he (Gino Manzares) ran into the back of me. I was told I’d taken his line, but I was in front of him. The referee will call it as he sees it, I didn’t agree with it really, but that’s speedway.

“But I really enjoyed the three laps prior to that. I made a really good start off gate 1 and then Josh and myself were swapping places at the front.

“I’ve got a lot of positives to take out of tonight, there’s also the race where I was battling with Richie Worrall (Heat 11) and I got past him at one point. He did come back past me, but I’ve proved to myself that I do have the speed to compete at this level and I feel this meeting could prove a turning point.

“I think it’s the first night that every single rider in our team has fired together, and everyone could see the result of that.”

Scunthorpe 55: Thomas Jorgensen 12, David Howe 10+2, Josh Auty 9+2, Ashley Birks 8+1, Ryan Douglas 8, Ulrich Ostergaard 5+1, Matt Williamson 3+1.
Ipswich 38: Gino Manzares 12+1, Rohan Tungate 10, Richie Worrall 5, Ritchie Hawkins 4+1, Morten Risager 4, Cameron Heeps 2, Max Clegg 1.