SCORPIONS MOTIVATED FOR BIG CUP CLASH
CUP HOLDERS Ellie Rose Travel Scunthorpe Scorpions return to the scene of their triumph when they travel to Poole’s Wimborne Road stadium for the first leg of the Cab Direct Knockout Cup semi-final tonight (Wednesday) at 7.30pm.
Last October, Scorpions beat Poole Pirates by 92-88 on aggregate in the cup final, after a 45-45 draw in the second leg at Wimborne Road, with skipper Simon Lambert playing a leading role in Scunthorpe winning their first piece of major silverware for 11 years.
Scunthorpe have already disposed of Plymouth and Berwick in the cup this season. To add even more spice to the clash against Pirates, Poole are currently top of the Cab Direct Championship league table and Scunthorpe are second.
Scunthorpe promoter Rob Godfrey said: “Poole’s home circuit is a bit of a fortress and some teams don’t like going down there and are beaten before a wheel has even been turned. That’s not the case with us. Last season, we went down there three times and scored 41, 45 and 45.
“We’ve got riders who can put together a decent meeting around Poole and we’ll be looking to keep it tight, so that we have an achievable target when the second leg takes place at our Eddie Wright Raceway later in the season.
“Poole’s promoter Danny Ford has already been talking about Pirates gaining revenge for last season’s final, but that gives us the psychological edge, because it’s reminding the Poole side that we beat them last season and we can beat them again.
“It was an enthralling final last season, and I don’t see this year’s semi-final being any different.”
Expected teams for tonight (Wednesday):
Poole Pirates: 1. Richard Lawson, 2. Tobias Thomsen, 3. Ben Cook, 4. Zach Cook, 5. Tom Brennan, 6. Sam Hagon, 7. Vinnie Foord.
Ellie Rose Travel Scunthorpe Scorpions: 1. Michael Palm Toft, 2. Simon Lambert (captain), 3. Jake Allen, 4. Connor Mountain, 5. Kyle Howarth, 6. Nathan Ablitt, 7. Luke Harrison.
* ELLIE ROSE TRAVEL Scunthorpe Scorpions return to action at home when they host the Workington Comets in the Cab Direct Championship at the Eddie Wright Raceway on Friday (July 26) at 7.30pm.
