ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL WEEKEND FOR SCORPIONS

SCUNTHORPE SCORPIONS 62 PLYMOUTH GLADIATORS 28 (Cab Direct Championship)

PLYMOUTH GLADIATORS 46 SCUNTHORPE SCORPIONS 43 (Cab Direct Championship)

ELLIE ROSE TRAVEL Scunthorpe Scorpions consolidated second place in the Cab Direct Championship and moved within sight of the end-of-season play-offs after taking three points from the Plymouth Gladiators over the weekend.

Scorpions overwhelmed Plymouth Gladiators by 62-28 at Eddie Wright Raceway on Friday, before just missing out on the double with a narrow 43-46 loss at the Plymouth Coliseum on Saturday.

Scunthorpe’s minimum target from the weekend was the three points they collected and it leaves them on 21 points, four points behind leaders Poole, with a top three place looking on the cards. The top four teams qualify for the end-of-season play-offs.

AT the Eddie Wright Raceway on Friday, Gladiators got off to a bright start and led 7-5 over two races. But Scorpions took a 5-1 from Jake Allen and Connor Mountain in Heat 3 and never looked back as they quickly built up a 34-14 lead with five 5-1s in six races.

Kyle Howarth scored a 15-point full maximum, while Mountain took a 11+1 paid maximum, his first maximum in Scunthorpe colours.

Unusually, Plymouth’s two top scores were their reserves, Joe Thompson and Jacob Hook.

Following Friday’s meeting, Scorpions’ team manager David Howe said: “It was a strong performance across our side and the sort of performance that breeds confidence.

“Kyle (Howarth) deserved his full maximum, while it was very pleasing that Connor (Mountain) scored a paid maximum.

“Connor’s had some tough meetings in recent weeks, but he really bounced back tonight. He didn’t do it all from the gate either and had to come from behind in Heat 14.”

SCUNTHORPE 62: Kyle Howarth 15 Connor Mountain 11+1, Luke Harrison 8+2, Michael Palm Toft 8+1, Simon Lambert 8+1, Jake Allen 8+1, Nathan Ablitt 4+2.

PLYMOUTH 28: Joe Thompson 9+1, Jacob Hook 7+3, Dan Thompson 5, Ben Barker 4, Alfie Bowtell 2, Patrick Baek 1, Nico Covatti r/r.

***

THE meeting at Plymouth on Saturday was a thriller. While the aggregate bonus point was in never in doubt for Scorpions, there was a battle for victory on the night which went down to a last-heat decider.

In an eventful meeting, the lead swung between both teams, before Plymouth broke seven points clear with two 5-1s in Heats 12 and 13.

Scorpions needed two 5-1s to snatch victory. Kyle Howarth and Connor Mountain took the first of those in Heat 14 and it was the same pairing who lined up for Scorpions in Heat 15. But Mountain fell and was excluded and with it went Scunthorpe’s chance of victory.

PLYMOUTH 46: Joe Thompson 11, Zach Cook 8+2, Ben Barker 8, Alfie Bowtell 6+1, Dan Thompson 6+1, Jacob Hook 4+1, Patrick Baek 3+1.

SCUNTHORPE 43: Kyle Howarth 15, Connor Mountain 8+1, Simon Lambert 7+1, Jake Allen 5+1, Michael Palm Toft 4, Luke Harrison 3, Nathan Ablitt 1.

* A BIG WEEK is ahead for Ellie Rose Travel Scunthorpe Scorpions, as they face league leaders Poole twice, firstly down in Dorset on Wednesday (August 7) and then back at the Eddie Wright Raceway on Friday (August 9) at 7.30pm.