LUKE HARRISON EXCELS, AS SCORPIONS BOOK FINAL PLACE

SCUNTHORPE SCORPIONS 48 EDINBURGH MONARCHS 42 (BSN Series, semi-final, second leg)

Scunthorpe win 97-82 on aggregate

ELLIE ROSE TRAVEL Scunthorpe Scorpions qualified for the final of the BSN Series, with a 48-42 victory over the Edinburgh Monarchs in the second leg of their semi-final at the Eddie Wright Raceway last night (Friday), which secured an 97-82 aggregate victory.

The dates have already been agreed between Scunthorpe and Poole for the BSN Final. The first leg will take place at the EWR on Sunday, September 29 at 5.30pm, with the second leg at Poole on Wednesday, October 2 at 7.30pm.

Scorpions finished last season with silverware against Poole – in the Knockout Cup Final – and will hope that history repeats itself.

Scunthorpe again called upon Drew Kemp to guest for Michael Palm Toft, who is still out with a knee injury. Scorpions already held a nine-point lead from the first leg at Edinburgh’s Armadale Stadium, but Monarchs started brightly and led 10-8 after three races.

Scorpions pulled ahead on the night with a 5-1 from Kyle Howarth and Luke Harrison in Heat 4, after second placed Dan Thompson pulled up with machinery problems.

But the killer blow came from Scorpions with three successive 5-1s between Heats 6 and 8, as they moved 14 points ahead on the night and 23 points ahead on aggregate.

Those races included a fine fourth to second by Nathan Ablitt in Heat 7 to join Howarth for a 5-1, while Connor Mountain was shoved wide on the second turn of Heat 8, but passed both Joe Thompson and Connor Coles to join Harrison for a 5-1.

Scunthorpe’s place in the final was mathematically sealed with a 3-3 in Heat 12, although realistically there was no way back for Edinburgh a few races before that. Monarchs did gain some respectability by outscoring Scorpions by eight points in the closing six races.

Josh Pickering – perhaps making his final appearance for Monarchs – scored a spectacular 15-point full maximum, collecting the majority of his points from the back.

The closest that anyone came to defeating the Australian was in Heat 13, when Harrison led him for over three-and-a-half laps, before Pickering finally forced a way through on the third bend of the final lap.

Harrison top-scored with 11+2 for Scorpions. He rode well against Oxford the previous week, but this was an even better performance from the 17-year-old.

Scunthorpe promoter Rob Godfrey said: “After we were eliminated at the semi-final stage in the league and the Cab Direct Knockout Cup, it’s good for the Ellie Rose Travel Scunthorpe Scorpions to qualify for the final of the BSN Series.

“We’d love to finish the season with another trophy in the cabinet, after we won the cup last season. It would be a fitting reward for our efforts throughout the season. I feel we’ve been a bit unlucky elsewhere, but we’ve got a chance to finish the season on a high for the second successive year.

“In the play-off semi-final, we lost it in the first leg at home to Oxford, and the same happened to Edinburgh in this semi-final. Had they not lost to us at home by nine points, they could have run us close on aggregate.

“As it was, we got ourselves in a position halfway through the meeting tonight where we were in total command, and it gave us a chance to try a few things out.

“Josh Pickering was spectacular for Edinburgh – he’s always liked our track and some of his passing moves tonight were top drawer speedway.

“Luke Harrison’s ride in Heat 13 when he led Josh for over three-and-a-half laps was a fantastic ride. It’s been a pleasure to watch Luke’s progress this season – he’s still only 17 years old and he’s just passed his driving test.

“This season, a number of teams put in youngsters like Luke on a two-point average and I believe British Speedway will reaps the rewards in the years to come.

“We know what we have to do in the final against Poole. We just need to make sure that we score more points than them over 30 races. We managed that last year in the Cup Final against them, and this season we will aim to relieve them of the BSN Series that they won last season.”

BSN Series, Semi-Final, 2nd Leg

SCUNTHORPE 48: Luke Harrison 11+2, Jake Allen 10+1, Connor Mountain 8+1, Kyle Howarth 8, Simon Lambert 6+2, Nathan Ablitt 3+2, Drew Kemp 2+1.

EDINBURGH 42: Josh Pickering 15, Paco Castagna 8+1, Lasse Fredriksen 7, Connor Coles 5+1, Dan Thompson 5, Max James 1+1, Joe Thompson 1.

Scunthorpe win 97-82 on aggregate

FINAL DATES:

First leg: Sunday, September 29 at 5.30pm: Scunthorpe v Poole

Second leg: Wednesday, October 2 at 7,30pm: Poole v Scunthorpe

Report by Rob Peasley. Photo by IAN RISPIN.