Scorpions smash big spenders
SCUNTHORPE SCORPIONS 50 GLASGOW TIGERS 40 (CHAMPIONSHIP)
ATTIS INSURANCE Scunthorpe Scorpions put up a fantastic performance to take a 50-40 victory over highly fancied Glasgow Tigers at the Eddie Wright Raceway last night (Friday).
Big spenders Glasgow are many people’s favourites to win the Championship this season and were third going into this last night’s clash, although they have now slipped a place to fourth. In contrast, Scorpions have moved up into the play-off positions in sixth place.
Scunthorpe skipper Simon Lambert got Scorpions off to a great start by defeating Craig Cook in Heat 1, while Scorpions took a 4-2 after Ryan Douglas passed Connor Bailey for third. Reserves Jordan Palin and Connor Coles took a 5-1 from Heat 2 for a second successive week as Scorpions moved 9-3 ahead.
Scorpions then withstood everything that Tigers throw at them, while the racing was out of the top drawer.
Scunthorpe moved ten ahead, after both Palin and Lambert passed Broc Nicol to take a 5-1 from Heat 8 and then Jake Allen defeated tactical sub Cook in heat 9.
Allen clinched victory by defeating the lively Benjamin Basso in Heat 14, while the 4-2 from Douglas and Lambert in Heat 15 sent Glasgow home without a point for their efforts.
Douglas top-scored for Scorpions with 15 points from six rides, and he was joined in double-figures by Allen (11+1) and Lambert (10+2).
Cook scored 13 for Glasgow, after being restricted to a single heat win by Scunthorpe riders, and he was overtaken twice by Douglas, as the Australian beat Cook three times in the closing five races.
Speaking post-meeting, Scorpions’ team manager Dave Peet said: “I’ve pleased that we sent Glasgow back home with no points.
“I’m so pleased how we rode as a team tonight – everyone contributed. We scored all the way through the team.
“I didn’t think Zaine (Kennedy) got as many as his efforts deserved, but he’s now really starting to show he can score points up in the team.
“Connor Coles did his job again, with a 5-1 with Jordan (Palin) in Heat 2. Connor blew an engine in his final ride.
“It was a great performance by the lads and we never looked like losing. It gives us a lot of confidence heading up to Glasgow on Sunday afternoon.”
SCUNTHORPE 50: Ryan Douglas 15, Jake Allen 11+1, Simon Lambert 10+2, Jordan Palin 7, Zaine Kennedy 5+1, Connor Coles 2+1, Tero Aarnio r/r.
GLASGOW 40: Craig Cook 13, Benjamin Basso 9, Danyon Hume 7+3, Tom Brennan 6+2, Ulrich Ostergaard 4, Broc Nicol 1, Connor Bailey 0.
* ATTIS INSURANCE Scunthorpe Scorpions feature in the return match at Glasgow on Sunday (3pm), while they host defending champions Poole at the Eddie Wright Raceway next Friday (June 17, 7.30pm) in what promises to be another cracking night of speedway at the Eddie Wright Raceway.
Report by Rob Peasley.
Photo by IAN RISPIN.
