End of the road for depleted Scorpions

SOMERSET REBELS 65 SCUNTHORPE SCORPIONS 27 (PREMIER LEAGUE PLAY-OFFS)

THE DREAM is over for another year.

Last night (Wednesday), a depleted FluidAir Power Scunthorpe Scorpions suffered a heavy 27-65 defeat at Somerset’s Oak Tree Arena, ending any chances of reaching the Play-Off Final.

With Scunthorpe already without the injured Nicolai Klindt (the scorer of a maximum at the Oak Tree Arena in September) and Ryan Douglas, the Scorpions were dealt a further blow when skipper Ashley Birks pulled out of the meeting after sustaining further damage to his wrist in a Heat 2 fall.

As a contest, the meeting was over after six races, after Somerset pulled into a 29-7 lead. Scunthorpe did bring just a little respectability into the scoreline courtesy of heat wins for guest Carl Wilkinson in Heat 8 and Josh Auty in Heat 9.

The Rebels scored nine 5-1s during the evening, although Auty (pictured) did ruin the maximum chances of home No 1 Olly Allen in Heat 15, a race that featured a battle royal for third place between Allen and Wilkinson.

Scorpions’ team manager Dave Peet said: “Injuries have decimated us the last few weeks, with broken scaphoids and so forth. The injuries just couldn’t have come at a worse possible time.

“When you get to the business end of the season, you do need seven fit riders. It’s not possible to come to somewhere like Somerset with riders missing and get a result.

“The meeting was going to be tough even with Ash (Birks). After he pulled out, it became even tougher. It was like pushing water uphill.

“All season we haven’t been strong enough to carry rider replacement away from home – it was the same at Ipswich last week, especially after Nicolai Klindt was hurt, and the same at Somerset.”

SOMERSET 65: Todd Kurtz 14+3, Nick Morris 13+1, Pontus Aspgren 12+2, Olly Allen 12+1, Paul Starke 8+3, Charles Wright 6+1, Brady Kurtz r/r
SCUNTHORPE 27: Carl Wilkinson 9, Josh Auty 9, Thomas Jorgensen 5+1, David Howe 3+1, Matt Williamson 1, Ashley Birks 0, Ryan Douglas r/r

* The Scorpions entertain Ipswich at the Eddie Wright Raceway on Friday (7.30pm) in their final Premier League Play-off match, looking to extend their unbeaten home run to 13 matches.