TOUGH DEBUT FOR 2025 SCORPIONS
OXFORD CHEETAHS 55 SCUNTHORPE SCORPIONS 35 (MAXiCab Knockout Cup, quarter-final, first leg)
ELLIE ROSE TRAVEL Scunthorpe Scorpions were caught cold at Oxford last night (Wednesday), suffering a 35-55 defeat in the opening match of their 2025 campaign.
It means Scorpions will have to overturn a 20-point-deficit when the two clubs meet at the Eddie Wright Raceway for the second leg of the MAXiCab Knockout Cup quarter-final tie on Friday, May 23.
Scorpions quickly fell 9-21 behind after five races at Cowley.
But it certainly wasn’t all doom-and-gloom. Zaine Kennedy – returning after a two-year absence from British Speedway – won his opening outing in Heat 2, and then joined Luke Harrison for a 5-1 in Heat 8, after Harrison flew around the field on the second turn.
Meanwhile, Steve Worrall and Jake Allen took a 4-2 from Heat 15 which gives Scorpions hope for the second leg – since they overturned a 18-point deficit against Berwick at the same stage of the Cup last season.
Zaine Kennedy’s 2022 season with Scorpions was curtailed through injury and subsequently he missed 2023 through a non-speedway injury.
After scoring 7+1 for Scorpions last night, he said: “I’m pretty happy with my night, although I did throw some points away in one race when I caught myself out. I’m still a bit race rusty at the moment.
“But I did better than I expected after being out of the league for so long – it’s put the building blocks in place for the rest of the season.
“We can still pull back the gap at Scunthorpe. We all go well around there and I think my brother Declan will prove a good rider around there, whereas some of the Oxford riders aren’t keen on Scunthorpe – some like it, some don’t.
“I feel I’ve got unfinished business at Scunthorpe. I finished my 2022 season with them with a horrible crash just as my form was improving. I would like to come back bigger and better.”
MAXICAB KO CUP Q/F 1st leg
OXFORD 55: Sam Masters 14, Jordan Jenkins 10+2, Dan Gilkes 10+2, Cameron Heeps 8+1, Luke Killeen 8, Jonas Knudsen 4+2, Darryl Ritchings 1+1.
SCUNTHORPE 35: Steve Worrall 9, Zaine Kennedy 7+1, Jake Allen 6+1, Connor Mountain 5, Luke Harrison 4+1, Simon Lambert 2+2, Declan Kennedy 2.
* ELLIE ROSE TRAVEL Scunthorpe Scorpions are next in action at Scunthorpe’s Eddie Wright Raceway on Good Friday (April 18) at 3pm. In a double-header, Scorpions race Redcar Bears in the BSN Series, followed by a WSRA National League clash between the Steelers and Middlesbrough Tigers.
