Scorpions look to maintain momentum at Oxford

ATTIS INSURANCE Scunthorpe Scorpions face a tough task to maintain their recent momentum in the Cab Direct Championship at high-flying Oxford tonight (Tuesday) at 7.30pm.

Oxford won at Scunthorpe on June 30 in a Superheat, after the two teams were deadlocked at 45-45 after 15 thrilling heats of action. It means to gain any league points from tonight, Scorpions would either needed another 45-45 draw (which would result in a Superheat to determine both the winners on the night and the winners of the bonus point) or a victory.

Scorpions took a record-breaking 55-35 away victory at Birmingham two weeks ago and followed it up with a fantastic 54-36 victory over third-placed Glasgow at the Eddie Wright Raceway. Scorpions are in fifth and safely in the play-offs, while Oxford would move back to the top of the table with a victory tonight.

Ryan Douglas and Simon Lambert return to the same track at Oxford where they just missed on reaching the semi-finals of the Championship Pairs last Friday. Scorpions missed out on countback, after tying on 17 points with Poole, with Pirates qualifying due to their 5-4 over Scorpions in Heat 15.

But that was only half the story. Scorpions conceded a 7-2 in Heat 4, in a race where Redcar’s Charles Wright led a charmed life and twice escaped exclusion after incidents. Many then thought that Poole’s Ben Cook had crossed the inside kerb with both wheels – an excludable offence – after he repassed Lambert on the final bend after a thrilling battle for third place in Heat 15.

Scorpions’ team manager Dave Peet said: “Oxford are where they are in the league table for a reason. But we’re clicked into another gear in our last couple of meetings, and if we fire on all cylinders, we can give them a real battle. Ryan and Simon rode there last Friday in the Championship Pairs and were very unlucky not to reach the semi-finals, only missing out on countback after a couple of decisions went against us.

“All the lads will put a shift tonight and we’ll go into the meeting with a positive attitude. There’s nothing pre-determined in speedway and every meeting can be won. A win would also mean we take the aggregate bonus point.

“The boys will be giving it 100% tonight, and then we’ll be looking to pick up three points when we host Berwick at the Eddie Wright Raceway in our concluding regular meeting on Friday, because we want to head into the play-offs with momentum on our side.”

Monarch Oxford Cheetahs: 1. Sam Masters, 2. Cameron Heeps, 3. Lewis Kerr, 4. Jordan Jenkins, 5. Scott Nicholls, 6. Henry Atkins, 7. Ashton Boughen.

Attis Insurance Scunthorpe Scorpions: 1. Ryan Douglas, 2. Connor Mountain, 3. Simon Lambert (captain), 4. Michael Palm Toft, 5. Jake Allen, 6. Nathan Ablitt, 7. Drew Kemp.

* ATTIS INSURANCE Scunthorpe Scorpions host Berwick Bandits at the Eddie Wright Raceway on Friday (September 8, 7.30pm).