Scorpions just miss out on point

SCORPIONS JUST MISS OUT ON POINT
BIRMINGHAM BRUMMIES 49 SCUNTHORPE SCORPIONS 41 (CHAMPIONSHIP)

ATTIS INSURANCE Scunthorpe Scorpions missed out on a league point at Birmingham last night (Wednesday), after a 41-49 loss, despite a brilliant performance from No 1 Ryan Douglas.

The on-form Australian scored 17 points and dropped his only point to Brummies’ guest Kyle Howarth in Heat 5. Douglas completed his evening with a fine pass of Howarth in Heat 15.

Scorpions provided the majority of heat-winners, but also ran 11 last places.

Birmingham took a 4-2 in Heat 14, which meant Scorpions needed a heat advantage from Heat 15 to take a point. But the race ended as a 3-3.

Scorpions’ team manager Dave Peet said: “It was a frustrating night for us. We were chasing it all the way through. We just didn’t have any consistent back up to Ryan Douglas, who was again brilliant.

“We just couldn’t get heat advantages to get back into the meeting, while we ran too many last places.

“Heat 14 was probably the race where a point slipped away from us, because I was expecting for us to maybe take a 4-2 from that, but instead Birmingham ended up getting a 4-2 from it.

“It’s a disappointing result, and our next meeting, at home to Oxford, is an important one, because we need to change our fortunes around.”

BIRMINGHAM 49: Kyle Howarth 12+1, Adam Ellis 11+1, James Shanes 7+1, Claus Vissing 6+2, Stefan Nielsen 6+2, Ashley Morris 6+1, James Pearson 1.
SCUNTHORPE 41: Ryan Douglas 17, Simon Lambert 8+1, Jordan Palin 5+2, Tero Aarnio 5, Jake Allen 5, Zaine Kennedy 1, Ryan Kinsley 0.

* ATTIS INSURANCE Scunthorpe Scorpions are next in action, when they host returning Oxford Cheetahs at the Eddie Wright Raceway for the first time in 15 years a week on Friday (May 13th) at 7.30pm.

PHOTO: The sight most riders saw of Ryan Douglas last night (pic by IAN RISPIN).