Scorpions move up to second, after win over local rivals

SCUNTHORPE SCORPIONS 54 SHEFFIELD TIGERS 39 (PREMIER LEAGUE)

FLUIDAIR POWER Scunthorpe Scorpions moved up to second place in the Premier League, after a 54-39 win over the Sheffield Tigers at the Eddie Wright Raceway last night (Wednesday).

It continues a remarkable run of successes in Premier League fixtures for the Scorpions against their local rivals. Since the beginning of the 2012 season, Scunthorpe have won all of the seven league encounters with Sheffield.

Both Nicolai Klindt (pictured) and Thomas Jorgensen dropped just a single point to the opposition, with Klindt only denied a maximum when opposing No 1 Simon Stead headed him home in Heat 15. Over the course of the night, Klindt won his personal battle with Stead 2-1.

With Josh Auty and Ashley Birks also paid for double figures, the Scorpions just had too much strength for a Sheffield side too reliant on Stead and reserve Taylor Poole.

The scores were all level after three races, but Jorgensen and Ryan Douglas posted a 5-1 in Heat 4, and the Scorpions took a further 5-1 in Heat 6 courtesy of Klindt and David Howe.

After an exchange of 4-2s, Scunthorpe took another 5-1 in Heat 9, this time from Birks and Auty.

Sheffield’s two tactical rides had different outcomes. Leigh Lanham could not prevent a Klindt/Howe 5-1 in Heat 10, but Stead and Andre Compton then took an 8-1 in Heat 11, after Compton won a battle with Douglas for second, as Sheffield reduced the gap to nine.

But with Simon Nielsen excluded for causing Jorgensen to fall in a Heat 12 battle, Birks and Jorgensen placed breathing space between the two teams with a 5-1 in the re-run.

Klindt clinched the meeting with a second victory of the evening over Stead in Heat 13, and Auty & Jorgensen then made sure of all three points, by defeating Lanham in a pulsating Heat 14 battle.

Speaking after the meeting, Scorpions’ team manager Dave Peet said: “That was a good result for us. Sheffield made it harder than the final score-line may suggest. They made us battle and contributed towards a good night of racing.

“Nicolai (Klindt) was gating like a rocket. When he gets away, no-one can catch him, because he’s so fast. Simon Stead couldn’t reel him in, once Nicolai got in front.

“Thomas Jorgensen also had a strong meeting, dropping his only point to Taylor Poole in Heat 2. Thomas is really on it at the moment.

“Ashley Birks and Josh Auty have made a fine pairing, since we’ve put them together at numbers 3 & 4. They do seem to be good for each other, look out for each other, and seem to push each other on.

“David Howe was plugging away and did a good job, scoring a couple of 5-1s with Nicolai. Meanwhile, I doubt if Ryan Douglas will ever have to ride so hard to get paid six.

“We have clicked at home, but we also need more away points on the board. I’d like us to come back from Glasgow next Monday with something.”

FLUIDAIR POWER SCUNTHORPE SCORPIONS 54
1. Nicolai Klindt 3 3 3 3 2 (14)
2. David Howe 1 2* 1 2* (6+2)
3. Ashley Birks 1* 2 3 2* 0 (8+2)
4. Josh Auty 2 1* 2* 3 (8+2)
5. Ryan Douglas 2* 2 1 0 (5+1)
6. Matt Williamson 0 0 0 (0)
7. Thomas Jorgensen 2 3 3 3 2* (13+1)

SHEFFIELD TIGERS 39
1. Simon Stead 2 3 6# 1* 3 (15+1)
2. Andre Compton 0 0 2* (2+1)
3. Simon Nielsen TX 1 0 X (1)
4. Leigh Lanham 0 3 1# 1 1 (6)
5. Ty Proctor 0 1 1 2 (4)
6. Taylor Poole 3 3 0 2 0 1 (9)
7. Josh Bates 1 1 0 0 (2)

# = tactical ride

1: Klindt, Stead, Howe, Compton, 57.03 (4-2) (4-2).
2: Poole, Jorgensen, Bates, Williamson, 58.37 (2-4) (6-6).
3: (Re-run) Poole, Auty, Birks, Lanham, Nielsen (excluded, touched tapes), 57.71 (3-3) (9-9).
4: Jorgensen, Douglas, Bates, Proctor, 58.22 (5-1) (14-10).
5: Stead, Birks, Auty, Compton, 57.37 (3-3) (17-13).
6: (Re-run) Klindt, Howe, Proctor, Poole (5-1) (22-14).
7: Lanham, Douglas, Nielsen, Williamson (fell, remounted), 58.41 (2-4) (24-18).
8: Jorgensen, Poole, Howe, Bates, 58.03 (4-2) (28-20).
9: Birks, Auty, Proctor, Poole, 57.96 (5-1) (33-21).
10: Klindt, Howe, LANHAM (TR), Nielsen, 57.75 (5-1) (38-22).
11: STEAD (TR), Compton, Douglas, Williamson, 58.54 (1-8) (39-30).
12: (Re-run) Jorgensen, Birks, Poole, Nielsen (excluded, cause of stoppage), 58.75 (5-1) (44-31).
13: Klindt, Proctor, Stead, Douglas, 58.43 (3-3) (47-34).
14: Auty, Jorgensen, Lanham, Bates, 58.85 (5-1) (52-35).
15: Stead, Klindt, Lanham, Birks (2-4) (54-39).