NL side so close at Middlesbrough

MIDDLESBROUGH TIGERS 48 SHEFFIELD/SCUNTHORPE 41 (WSRA National League)

THE joint Scunthorpe and Scunthorpe National League side just missed out on a point at Middlesbrough after a 41-48 defeat in the WSRA National League earlier today (Saturday).

Home fixtures are split with Scunthorpe Stags hosting both Edinburgh and Oxford, and Sheffield Tiger Cubs at home to Middlesbrough, Belle Vue and Leicester. The team will ride in away meetings with the same identity as in the corresponding home meeting, so the team took to the track at the ECCO Arena as the Sheffield Tiger Cubs.

Luke Harrison was unavailable and Dayle Wood guested in his place.

Tigers Cubs conceded a 5-0 in Heat 1 after separate falls for Nathan Ablitt and skipper Mickie Simpson and were nine points down after seven races.

They hauled themselves back into contention with back-to-back 5-1s, including a thrilling Heat 9, as brothers Ace and Stene Pijper came through from the back in superb style.

That brought Tiger Cubs to just a single point down on the afternoon. But Middlesbrough Tigers pulled back away and clinched victory with a 5-1 in Heat 14.

In a closely contested Heat 15, Ablitt ended the maximum hopes of Ben Trigger, while Pijper defeated home No 1 Jake Mulford. But the 4-2 saw the Tiger Cubs miss out on the aggregate point by just a single point at 89-90.

Nevertheless, the young riders of the joint Scunthorpe and Sheffield operation can be proud of their efforts. They are next in action a week on Sunday (July 14) when they visit reigning champions Oxford Chargers – this time in the guise of the Scunthorpe Stags.

MIDDLESBROUGH 48: Ben Trigger 14, Jake Mulford 9, Ben Rathbone 9, Jamie Halder 5+2, Kai Ward 5+1, Danny Phillips 5+1, William Hocaniuk 1.

SHEFFIELD / SCUNTHORPE 41: Nathan Ablitt 10, Ace Pijper 8+2, Dayle Wood 7, Stene Pijper 6+1, Kean Dicken 5+1, Mickie Simpson 4+1, Sheldon Davies 1+1.

* ELLIE ROSE TRAVEL Scunthorpe Scorpions are not back in action for another fortnight, due to a break in action due to the Speedway Of Nations taking place at Belle Vue in Manchester next week. Scorpions travel to Glasgow on Friday, July 19, before hosting the Workington Comets at the Eddie Wright Raceway on Friday, June 26 at 7.30pm.