Scorpions stride into cup final in style

REDCAR BEARS 41 SCUNTHORPE SCORPIONS 49 (Knockout Cup, semi-final, second leg)
Scunthorpe win 103-77 on aggregate

ATTIS INSURANCE Scunthorpe Scorpions marched into the Knockout Cup Final with a classy 49-41 victory at Redcar last night (Friday) in the second leg of their semi-final, to complete a comprehensive 103-77 aggregate win.

In challenging conditions following recent rain, Scorpions had booked their final spot against Poole Pirates with five races remaining, following a third 5-1 of the evening from middle pair Simon Lambert and Jake Allen in Heat 10, after both passed Redcar guest Richard Lawson in a hotly contested race. After that, Scorpions led by 36-24 on the night and an uncatchable 90-60 on aggregate.

Scunthorpe entered the meeting with a healthy 18-point lead after the first leg at the Eddie Wright Raceway seven days earlier.

Redcar led 8-4 after two races, but both Allen and Lambert then fired past Leon Flint in Heat 3 to level the scores on the night with a 5-1.

Scorpions then moved in front with a 4-2 from Drew Kemp and Michael Palm Toft in Heat 4 and never looked back. Palm Toft passed Lawson on the third lap to win Heat 6, while another 5-1 from Allen and Lambert in Heat 7 took Scorpions eight ahead on the night and rapidly closing on in the final.

With the place in the final in the bag, arguably Scorpions took the foot on the gas a little as Redcar provided four successive heat winners from Heat 11 onwards.

But skipper Lambert – who had missed out on a potential paid maximum when Connor Bailey streaked away in Heat 12 – wanted to finish on a high in Heat 15. He was initially fourth, but carved through the field, before rounding Flint with a lap to go. Lambert was so pumped up that he continued racing beyond the chequered flag into the fifth lap and eventually fell on the third turn.

Lambert (12+2) was top scorer for Scorpions, while Allen (9+2) only dropped points in the final two races, after victory was assured.

Kemp was flying out of the starts and scored 9 points from reserve, while Palm Toft (8+1) and Connor Mountain (6+1) picked up many of their points from behind. After an engine failure for Ryan Douglas, Mountain was left as Scorpions’ sole rider in Heat 1, and picked off Danyon Hume on the final lap to ensure Scorpions didn’t begin the evening by conceding a 5-1.

Douglas was blighted by that engine failure in Heat 1 and then spun around and fell on the troublesome second bend while leading Heat 11, and he was restricted to an uncharacteristic five-point return, although he did win Heat 5.

The meeting was a learning curve for Nathan Ablitt, who struggled with conditions. He fell while in third place in Heat 2; was quick to clear the track to allow Palm Toft to win the race after another fall in Heat 9; and then lost a point with an engine failure in heat 12.

Scunthorpe team manager Dave Peet said: “The boys didn’t worry too much about the track tonight. The tracks are often a bit heavy in October and the lads just went out and attacked it.

“We didn’t come here to defend an 18-point lead – we went out to extend that lead even further. The lads were desperate to have another crack at Poole in the cup final and now they’ve earnt that.

“It was a proper team performance tonight. Dougie (Ryan Douglas) is always so strong away from home, but tonight he had an eventual night, and it was engine room pairing of Simon and Jake at No 3 and 4 who really shone for us.

“We also had a strong reserve in Drew, while Tofty (Michael Palm Toft) was Tofty and had a good night, and Connor really had to battle and deserved every point he scored. Nathan struggled a bit with the conditions, but he’ll learn from evenings like this.

“We had the mindset to win tonight – not just on aggregate but the meeting too. We put out a statement of intent that we mean business. The final will be the same – we’ll be out to win both legs against Poole.”

REDCAR 41: Richard Lawson 10+1, Leon Flint 10, Jason Edwards 7, Erik Riss 5, Connor Bailey 4+1, Luke Harrison 3, Danyon Hume 2+1.
SCUNTHORPE 49: Simon Lambert 12+2, Jake Allen 9+2, Drew Kemp 9, Michael Palm Toft 8+1, Connor Mountain 6+1, Ryan Douglas 5, Nathan Ablitt 0.
Scunthorpe win 103-77 om aggregate

* THE dates for the final will be Friday, October 13 (7.30pm) at Scunthorpe’s Eddie Wright Raceway and Wednesday, October 18 (7.30pm) at Poole’s Wimborne Road, as Scorpions seek to win the Knockout Cup at Championship level for the first time in their history.