Scorpions suffer home reverse

SCUNTHORPE SCORPIONS 42 PLYMOUTH GLADIATORS 48 (CHAMPIONSHIP)

ATTIS INSURANCE Scunthorpe Scorpions came unstuck at the Eddie Wright Raceway last night (Friday), as visitors Plymouth Gladiators emerged with a 48-42 victory.

Plymouth took the lead with a 4-2 in Heat 2 and then held a narrow advantage for the rest of the evening.

Scorpions used Ryan Douglas as a tactical substitute in Heat 5, but only gained a 3-3 from the race, but then skipper Simon Lambert passed Hans Andersen to join Douglas for a 5-1 in Heat 6 that hauled Scorpions back in contention.

But with Dan Gilkes proving a real trump card from No 7, Gladiators eked their lead back out to six points.

There were signs of a late rally by Scorpions when Tero Aarnio and Ryan Douglas took a 5-1 in Heat 13. But the unfortunate Gilkes came down on the first bend of Heat 14 and there was a 45-minute delay while he was taken off to hospital with a suspected broken arm.

It was Gladiators who rode better on the resumption of racing. Jake Allen (picutred) won Heat 14, but Gladiators filled the minor positions. Michael Palm Toft and Ben Barker then clinched the meeting for the visitors with a 5-1 in Heat 15, after they overcame early leader Allen.

Scorpions’ team manager Dave Peet said: “Plymouth are a strong team and were the better team on the night. They were gating better than us for most of the meeting.

“We send our best wishes to Dan Gilkes and hope he makes a speedy recovery from his arm injury.

“The meeting came to a halt just at the wrong time for us. We’d just scored a 5-1 in Heat 13 and we were also holding a 5-1 in Heat 14 when it was stopped. But there was a lengthy break while Dan was tended to, and it stopped any momentum that we were starting to build.

“But we can have no complaints. On the whole, Plymouth rode better than us – it’s as simple as that.”

SCUNTHORPE 42: Jake Allen 11, Ryan Douglas 10+2, Tero Aarnio 9, Zaine Kennedy 7, Simon Lambert 4+3, Jordan Palin 1+1, Ryan Kinsley 0
PLYMOUTH 48: Michael Palm Toft 13, Dan Gilkes 10+1, Ben Barker 8+2, Richard Lawson 8, Hans Andersen 6+1, Nathan Ablitt 3+2, Alfie Bowtell 0

* ATTIS INSURANCE Scunthorpe Scorpions are next in action, when they travel to Birmingham next Wednesday (May 4th).