Stags avoid whitewash

CRADLEY HEATHENS 72 SCUNTHORPE STAGS 18 (NATIONAL LEAGUE)

HENDERSON INSURANCE Scunthorpe Stags showed fighting spirit in avoiding being whitewashed by National League leaders Cradley Heath at Monmore Green last night (Tuesday).

The Stags were without their only experienced rider, Scottish-based No 1 Steve Jones, who was ruled out through work commitments, and therefore tracked seven riders with very little combined experience. They faced the strongest team in the league, mighty Cradley Heath, a young team themselves, but one containing riders of greater experience.

The Stags conceded 5-1s in each of the first seven races, but Stags’ Arron Mogridge (pictured) took second place in Heat 8, in which Reece Downes was unfortunate to be excluded, after an incident while battling for third place with Danny Phillips.

Several times, the Cradley riders were made to fight their way to the front, but the Stags did not gain another point from their opponents until Heat 15. Sam Chapman and Arron Mogridge signalled their intentions with fast starts, but Tom Perry soon took the lead. Mogridge was left in second place, with Matt Williamson chasing him. With time running out, Williamson accidentally nudged Mogridge off on the final corner, resulting in Williamson’s exclusion and a 3-3 race result.

Speaking after meeting, Stags’ team manager Richard Hollingsworth said: “I’m happy with how it went. Cradley are so strong and have scored at least 64 points in every official meeting around here this season, and we ended up with just a point less than Buxton scored here.

“I’m not sure if any of our riders have ever rode at Monmore Green previously. For some of our lads, the meeting was just about learning the track, while for others, it was competing with the opposition.

“Arron Mogridge became very competitive as the meeting progressed, while I felt we were unlucky not to take more than two points out of Heat 8, because Reece Downes’ exclusion was on the harsh side.

“I would like to go on record to thank the Cradley supporters for giving our riders tremendous support throughout the evening. They applauded our efforts throughout the evening – they could see the lads were giving it their all and appreciated that.”

CRADLEY HEATH HEATHENS 72
1. Paul Starke 3 3 2* 2* (10+2)
2. Matt Williamson 2* 2* 3 3 X (10+2)
3. Max Clegg 2* 3 3 3 (11+1)
4. Nathan Greaves 3 2* 2*2* (9+3)
5. Steve Worrall 3 3 2* 3 (11+1)
6. Tom Perry 3 2* 3 3 3 (14+1)
7. Danny Phillips 2* 2* 1 2* (7+3)

HENDERSON INSURANCE SCUNTHORPE STAGS 18
1. Steve Jones R/R
2. Arron Mogridge 1 1 2 1 2 (7)
3. Danno Verge 1 1 0 1 (3)
4. Ryan McDonald 0 0 1 1 (2)
5. Sam Chapman 1 1 1 1 1* (5+1)
6. Liam Sanderson FX F 0 0 (0)
7. Reece Downes 1 R X 0 (1)
8. Jack Hall FX 0 0 0 (0)

1: Starke, Williamson, Mogridge, Hall (fell, excluded) (5-1) (5-1).
2: Perry, Philips, Downes, Sanderson (fell, excluded) (5-1) (10-2).
3: Greaves, Clegg, Verge, MacDonald (5-1) (15-3).
4: Worrall, Philips, Chapman, Downes (ret) (5-1) (20-4).
5: Clegg, Greaves, Mogridge Hall (5-1) (25-5).
6: Starke, Williamson, Chapman, Sanderson (fell) (5-1) (30-6).
7: Worrall, Perry, Verge McDonald (5-1) (35-7).
8: Williamson, Mogridge, Philips, Downs (excluded) (4-2) (39-9).
9: Clegg, Greaves, Chapman, Sanderson (ret) (5-1) (44-10).
10: Williamson, Starke, MacDonald, Verge (5-1) (49-11).
11: Perry, Worrall, Mogridge, Hall (5-1) (54-12).
12: Clegg, Phillips. Verge, Sanderson (5-1) (59-13).
13: Worrall, Starke, Chapman, Hall (5-1) (64-14).
14: Perry, Greaves, MacDonald, Downes (5-1) (69-15).
15: Perry, Mogridge, Chapman, Williamson (excluded) (3-3) (72-18).

* The Stags travel to Stoke on Saturday evening (7pm).