Scorpions look to hit back after poor show in Cumbria
WORKINGTON COMETS 57 SCUNTHORPE SCORPIONS 36 (PREMIER LEAGUE)
DAVE PEET, the team manager of the FluidAir Power Scunthorpe Scorpions, supported by Henderson Insurance, is looking for a much better performance in the Knockout Cup at Newcastle tonight (Sunday, 6.30pm), after watching his side suffer a heavy 36-57 Premier League loss at Workington yesterday evening (Saturday).
Peet said: “It was a disappointing performance from us at Workington – I thought it was one of our poorest performances of the season. We weren’t good enough.
“Michael Palm Toft came in and he was an excellent guest for us. But apart from that, we were struggling a bit.
“It’s a case of putting that meeting from last night behind us, and making sure we ride much better at Newcastle tonight, to ensure that we successfully defend the 16-point lead we have from the first leg, and make it through to the next round of the cup.”
The Scorpions slipped ten points behind after four races at Derwent Park, before Toft stopped the rot by winning his tactical ride in Heat 5, defeating Rene Bach in the process (Bach’s only defeat of the night).
Scunthorpe then kept things relatively tight, and were eleven points down with four heats remaining, but the Comets widened the gap with 5-1s in Heats 12 & 14, plus a 4-2 in Heat 15, as the home side ran out as winners by a 21-point margin.
Toft was Scunthorpe’s top scorer (15+1), and his main back up came from Theo Pijper (8). Dutchman Pijper switched back to his old engine, after two unsuccessful rides on a new engine, and provided the only defeat for Workington’s flying reserve Kenneth Hansen in Heat 8.
Peet added: “Theo went better once he switched to his old engine, while Wilko (Carl Wilkinson) was having a few issues to begin with, because his bike had been totalled the last time we rode.
“Alex (Davies) also started slowly, but he was leading his third ride by a mile, when he got out of shape and ended up dropping to third. Ben (Wilson) started well, but faded, while Nike (Lunna) had a tough night.”
WORKINGTON COMETS 57
1. Kyle Howarth 3 3 2 3 1 (12)
2. Rusty Harrison 2* 3 1 1* R (7+2)
3. Rene Bach 3 2 3 3 3 3 (17)
4. Matthew Wethers 1 1* 2* 0 3 (7+2)
5. Ricky Wells R/R
6. Nicki Barrett 0 0 0 (0)
7. Kenneth Hansen 3 2* 3 2 2* 2* (14+3)
FLUIDAIR POWER SCUNTHORPE SCORPIONS SUPPORTED BY HENDERSON INSURANCE 36
1. Josh Auty R/R
2. Theo Pijper (pictured) 1 0 3 2 2 0 (8)
3. Michael Palm Toft (Guest) 2 6# 1* 3 1 2 (15+1)
4. Carl Wilkinson F 0 2 1 1 (4)
5. Alex Davies 0 0 1 1* 1* (3+2)
6. Ben Wilson 2 2 R 0 (4)
7. Nike Lunna 1* 1 0 0 (2+1)
1: Howarth, Harrison, Pijper, Wilkinson (fell), 64.3 (5-1) (5-1).
2: Hansen, Wilson, Lunna, Barrett, 63.7 (3-3) (8-4).
3: Bach, Toft, Wethers, Wilkinson, 64.6 (4-2) (12-6).
4: (Re-run) Harrison, Hansen, Lunna, Davies, 64.8 (5-1) (17-7).
5: TOFT (TR), Bach, Wethers, Pijper, 63.9 (3-6) (20-13).
6: (Re-run) Howarth, Wilson, Harrison, Davies, 65.4 (4-2) (24-15).
7: Hansen, Wilkinson, Toft, Barrett, 64.6 (3-3) (27-18).
8: Pijper, Hansen, Harrison, Lunna, 65.7 (3-3) (30-21).
9: Bach, Wethers, Davies, Wilson (ret), 66.8 (5-1) (35-22).
10: Toft, Howarth, Wilkinson, Harrison (ret), 65.3 (2-4) (37-26).
11: Bach, Pijper, Davies, Barrett, 66.1 (3-3) (40-29).
12: Bach, Hansen, Toft, Wilson, 65.9 (5-1) (45-30).
13: Howarth, Pijper, Davies, Wethers, 66.6 (3-3) (48-33).
14: Wethers, Hansen, Wilkinson, Lunna, 66.6 (5-1) (53-34).
15: Bach, Toft, Howarth, Pijper, 66.0 (4-2) (57-36).
* Peet is looking for a much better performance in the first round, second leg KO Cup clash at Newcastle tonight. He said: “The boys were a bit disappointed that we didn’t do better at Workington, but I told them we simply need to turn it around and have a better one at Newcastle. Thomas Jorgensen is coming in, and I’m sure he’ll be another fine guest, and it’s up to the rest of the lads to make sure we reach 38 points, to get us through to the next round.”
