LARGE VICTORY, AS SCORPIONS RETURN TO WINNING WAYS
SCORPIONS RETURN TO WINNING WAYS WITH LARGE VICTORY
SCUNTHORPE SCORPIONS 58 WORKINGTON COMETS 32 (Cab Direct Championship)
ELLIE ROSE TRAVEL Scunthorpe Scorpions put in one of their best performances of the season to defeat the Workington Comets by 58-32 in the Cab Direct Championship at the Eddie Wright Raceway last night (Friday) on a night of some superb speedway – although they lost the bonus point in an extra Super Heat after a 90-90 aggregate draw.
The result takes Scorpions back into the fourth and final play-off qualifying position – although with only one remaining home meeting (to Redcar on August 29), the Scunthorpe management are honest enough to admit the play-offs are unlikely once the chasing pack have ridden their matches in hand.
If ever a meeting showed the value of the aggregate bonus point, it was this one. Scunthorpe powered into a 37-11 advantage, after dropping just three points in the opening eight races. While the racing was still keenly fought, it was over as a contest as regards to the meeting winner.
Not so the bonus point. With Workington having recorded a 58-32 victory at Northside on July 19, the 5-1 from Declan Kennedy and Simon Lambert in Heat 8 tied the scores on aggregate at 69-69.
But Comets’ tactical substitute Troy Batchelor burst around the outside in Heat 9 to join Antti Vuolas for a 5-1 and the fight was on.
Some of the racing was out of the top drawer. In Heat 11, there were four overtakes on the final two bends alone, as Batchelor dived inside race-leader Jake Allen, only for both Allen and Declan Kennedy to move inside Batchelor as he drifted wide, but Batchelor then cut back inside Kennedy just before the chequered flag. The 4-2 saw Scorpions take the aggregate lead for the first time.
Workington levelled with a 4-2 in Heat 12, while both Heats 13 and 14 contained photo finishes.
Allen fended off Batchelor for third place in Heat 13, while Jacob Hook held off Declan Kennedy in a battle for second place in Heat 14. Scorpions took a 4-2 from each race, to go into Heat 15 with a four-point aggregate lead.
It all looked over when Steve Worrall and Allen burst from tapes. But both Batchelor and Vuolas overtook Worrall and reined in Allen. Batchelor forced a way inside Allen on the third bend of the third lap, and Vuolas followed through the gap. He made contact on the way through, but both riders stayed onboard. Allen regained second on the third bend of the final lap, but Vuolas cut back inside and Comets snatched the 5-1 to take the aggregate point to a Super Heat.
The same four riders were involved in the Super Heat. Worrall and Allen again trapped, but Batchelor and Vuolas were through much quicker this time around. By the end of the opening lap, they had hit the front and Comets took a 7-2 under the 4-3-2-0 scoring for this race. While the battle for the aggregate point had not gone Scunthorpe’s way, nobody could deny the quality of the action on a thrilling night of speedway, while there was not a single 3-3 all night.
Zaine Kennedy took a well-deserved paid maximum for Scorpions with a 9+3 tally. Since he rode at No 2, it was completed as early as Heat 10, when Worrall came through to join him for a 5-1. Allen won his opening three outings and scored 11, while Worrall also won three races and posted 10. But every Scorpion scored at least six points.
Comets lost one rider when Jye Etheridge crashed out in a nasty tumble in Heat 7.
Scorpions’ team manager David Howe said: “It was a good team performance tonight from across all the side.
“I’m not going to let the Super Heat take the shine off the night, since with 26 points to recover, I feel it was an achievement to even get the meeting to that point. It would have been nice to taken the bonus point in Heat 15 and avoided the Super Heat, but it’s not worth dwelling on.
“It was an encouraging performance and it was much better. We had plenty of race winners, which was nice to see, but we had the back-up as well. We had two riders scoring in most races and very few last places.
“Zaine Kennedy had a terrific meeting at No 2 and fully deserved his paid maximum. Declan had a very good meeting as well and was right in the thick of the action. But all seven riders had a good night together and that’s what we’ve been looking for.
“Apart a trip to Redcar, all our remaining away meetings are a long way away at Glasgow, Edinburgh and Berwick. You can’t go all that way, without the intention of trying to win.
“I told the boys before the meeting today that while mathematically the play-offs are still possible, realistically they’ve gone. It’s now about riding for pride and self-worth. Tonight the riders can feel more happy with themselves, and hopefully we can take that energy and attitude into the meeting at Glasgow tomorrow (Saturday) and we can put up a good account of ourselves up there.”
Scorpions are in action at Glasgow tonight (Saturday), before back-to-back meetings next weekend at Edinburgh on August 8 and Berwick on August 9.
SCUNTHORPE 58: Jake Allen 11, Steve Worrall 10, Zaine Kennedy 9+3, Simon Lambert 8+1, Luke Harrison 8, Declan Kennedy 6+2, Connor Mountain 6.
WORKINGTON 32: Antti Vuolas 10+1, Troy Batchelor 10+1, Jacob Hook 6, Tate Zischke 5, Fraser Bowes 1 Jye Etheridge 0, Connor Coles 0.
Aggregate scores tied – Workington win the aggregate point after winning a Super Heat 7-2
* ELLIE ROSE TRAVEL Scunthorpe Scorpions are next at home on Friday, August 29 at 7.30pm, when they entertain Redcar Bears in the Cab Direct Championship at the Eddie Wright Raceway. It is the final home meeting of the 2025 season for Scorpions.
PHOTOS BY IAN RISPIN
