Scorpions push high-flying Oxford all the way

SCORPIONS PUSH HIGH-FLYING OXFORD ALL THE WAY
OXFORD CHEETAHS 50 SCUNTHORPE SCORPIONS 40 (Cab Direct Championship)

ATTIS INSURANCE Scunthorpe Scorpions put in a highly creditable performance before going down 40-50 in the plush surroundings of Oxford Stadium last night (Tuesday).

Oxford Cheetahs moved back to the top of the Cab Direct Championship table with the victory, but not before Scorpions had given high-flying Cheetahs a real scare.

Cheetahs moved 26-16 moved ahead, although Scorpions could have taken a 5-1 from Heat 2, had Nathan Ablitt not reared and fell after trapping ahead with the impressive Drew Kemp.

A 5-1 from Kemp and Connor Mountain in Heat 8 started a run of three successive heat advantages for Scorpions. Ryan Douglas came into Heat 9 and defeated Lewis Kerr, and Michael Palm Toft beat Sam Masters in Heat 10. Scorpions closed to just two points with four races remaining.

Oxford dug deep after the interval to move back eight points in front and Scorpions needed two 5-1s from the final two races. In Heat 14, Palm Toft and Kemp led, but Henry Atkins came under Kemp very hard on the third bend and Kemp took an alarming fall into the air fence, although after a few anxious moments, Kemp got up and walked away.

Kemp picked up a debatable exclusion, while there was a highly controversial re-run. Referee Christina Turnbull had left the two-minute yellow light on in a previous race but without consequence. The same happened in the re-run of Heat 14 and Palm Toft mistook the light for the red stoppage light and pulled up from first place after a lap. The yellow light was then turned off and Palm Toft got going again, while displaying his displeasure to the referee. But the result stood as a 5-1 to Cheetahs.

Scorpions pegged back a 4-2 in Heat 15, as Douglas inflicted a defeat on close friend Masters.

Ryan Douglas top scored with 14 points, including three race wins, and said: “A lot of the boys haven’t had much time around here, so we did well to push Oxford.

“We could have done even better but for Heat 14. When the yellow light flashed through the red light, which is next to it, it looked red and when you see a red track light, you stop, so that’s what Tofty (Michael Palm Toft) did. I thought that would be a straightforward re-run, but the referee took the decision that the result stood and we move on – you can’t do much about it.

“We also lost other points including Drew’s crash. But it was a decent meeting for us and we can hold our heads up high.

“I was happy with my own night. I was here a few days ago in the pairs and that prepared me well for tonight. They’ve got a strong top three, so there’s never an easy race against Oxford, but once I start making some starts, I had a good evening.

“Oxford are obviously a strong side because they went back to the top of the table tonight, but we pushed them at their own track, and our away form hasn’t always been as strong in previous seasons.

“We’re going well and we aim to show that at home to Berwick on Friday. Following that, it’s the play-offs and there’s more to come from us. Drew is riding well and we’ve got him at reserve and Tofty is getting stronger after his injury. We’re confident we can do something in the play-offs.”

OXFORD 50: Sam Masters 13, Lewis Kerr 11, Scott Nicholls 8, Jordan Jenkins 5+2, Henry Atkins 5+2, Ashton Boughen 5+2, Cameron Heeps 3.
SCUNTHORPE 40: Ryan Douglas 14, Michael Palm Toft 9, Drew Kemp 7, Jake Allen 6, Connor Mountain 2+1, Simon Lambert 2+1, Nathan Ablitt 0.
Oxford win the aggregate point by 95-85

* ATTIS INSURANCE Scunthorpe Scorpions host Berwick Bandits at the Eddie Wright Raceway on Friday (7.30pm) in their final regular Cab Direct Championship league match, prior to the play-offs.