Scorpions defeat high-flying Panthers, after grandstand finish

SCUNTHORPE SCORPIONS 47 PETERBOROUGH PANTHERS 43 (PREMIER LEAGUE)

FLUIDAIR POWER Scunthorpe Scorpions, supported by Henderson Insurance, picked up a brilliant 47-43 victory over the Peterborough Panthers at the Eddie Wright Raceway last night (Friday), after picking up 5-1 heat wins in each of the last three races.

The Panthers went into the meeting leading the Premier League table, and without a defeat in any of their previous five PL away meetings. And with a 40-32 lead after 12 races, that run seemed all set to continue.

But then, in front of an improved crowd, came Scunthorpe’s grandstand finish. Ryan Douglas – in his first meeting back since a vertebrae injury – won Heat 13, while guest Thomas Jorgensen fought his way past Rohan Tungate and Ulrich Ostergaard to join Douglas for a 5-1.

Heat 14 was as good a speedway race as anyone will see anywhere this year, with countless passing moves. The proverbial blanket could have been thrown over all four riders for all four laps. Early leader Adam Roynon was pegged back, while Carl Wilkinson produced a masterclass in team riding, to help Ben Wilson into second place. Coming out of the final bend, Wilson had Roynon on his inside and Simon Lambert on his outside, but held them both off, as the Scorpions tied the scores with a second successive 5-1.

Peterborough had choice of gates in Heat 15, but Douglas made it off gate 1, and then the inspired Jorgensen flew around Tungate in a spectacular move on the back straight of the second lap, as the Scorpions secured a famous win.

Scunthorpe had started with a 5-1 from Jorgensen and Theo Pijper in Heat 1, while Nike Lunna won the reserves race in Heat 2.

But the Panthers had looked in control for most of the night, provided 9 out of 10 heat-winners between Heats 3 & 12, and the Scorpions suffered what appeared a hammer blow when the unlucky Alex Davies shed a chain while leading Heat 9, handing a fourth successive heat win to Tungate.

Jorgensen (12+2) dropped just a single point to an opposing rider, while Douglas (12) started off with three second places before two big heat wins in Heats 13 & 15.

Scunthorpe remain bottom of the Premier League at the moment, but on the strength of this display, that may not last for too much longer.

Scorpions’ team manager Dave Peet said: “All season long we haven’t given in and have raced until Heat 15, and in this meeting we got the reward for that. I think the difference was that we had seven riders, and didn’t have to use rider replacement. It took the pressure off the riders, and gave them more time to analyse where they were at, and get things going.

“Despite everything that’s been thrown at us, we’ve maintained a good team spirit this year. The lads knew what they needed to do, stuck at it, and got the result.

“The whole team chipped in. Alex Davies was really unlucky to suffer a broken chain while leading Rohan Tungate in Heat 9, who hadn’t dropped a point at that point, but Alex came back with a fighting second place in his next ride.

“Carl Wilkinson showed he is a true team man in Heat 14. That was an epic race, you could have thrown a blanket over all four riders for the whole race, and Wilko used all his experience and controlled it perfectly, and helped Ben Wilson through for the 5-1. That’s why we have Wilko at No 4, because he can come up with a ride like that in Heat 14.

“Thomas Jorgensen was just a superb guest, and he came up with a couple of big rides with Ryan Douglas at the end. It’s great to have Ryan back, and next week we hope to have Josh Auty back too.”

Ryan Douglas said: “I started off pretty steady with three second places, and I knew if I made some changes and made a start then I could win a race. I popped out of the start in Heat 13, and then did the same in Heat 15.

“Thomas (Jorgensen) was on it, so we spoke to each other about Heat 13 and what we would do on the first corner and it worked. For Heat 15, he gave me the better gate, because he’s the better starter. So I took gate 1, and he was off gate 3, so that he could beat the guy off gate 4 (Matej Kus) into the first corner. Again, it all worked out and we got another 5-1.

“I thought I might be rustier than I was today, but I felt fine. I’m happy to be back and scoring points. After coming in late this year due to injury, I’d done quite a lot of practicing in Australia, but then got hurt again in my second meeting back for Scunthorpe.

“I haven’t put too much pressure on myself, and I wasn’t pushing it too hard, because I didn’t want to come off and get hurt again. I was just enjoying my racing, and I still had quite a bit of speed without pushing it too much.”

FLUIDAIR POWER SCUNTHORPE SCORPIONS SUPPORTED BY HENDERSON INSURANCE 47
1. Thomas Jorgensen (Guest) 3 2 3 2* 2* (12+2)
2. Theo Pijper 2* 1* 2 0 (5+2)
3. Alex Davies 1* 0 R 2 (3+1)
4. Carl Wilkinson 2 1 2 3 (8)
5. Ryan Douglas 2 2 2 3 3 (12)
6. Ben Wilson 0 0 1* 2* (3+2)
7. Nike Lunna 3 1* 0 0 (4+1)

PETERBOROUGH PANTHERS 43
1. Ulrich Ostergaard 1 3 3 1 (8)
2. Emil Grondal R/R
3. Matej Kus (Guest) 3 2* 3 2 3 0 (13+1)
4. Adam Roynon (Guest) 0 1 1* F 0 (2+1)
5. Rohan Tungate (Guest) 3 3 3 3 0 1 (13)
6. Rafal Konopka 2 0 1 (3)
7. Simon Lambert 0 1* 0 1 1 1 (4+1)

1: Jorgensen, Pijper, Ostergaard, Lambert, 57.25 (5-1) (5-1).
2: Lunna, Konopka, Lambert, Wilson, 58.50 (3-3) (8-4).
3: Kus, Wilkinson, Davies, Roynon, 56.63 (3-3) (11-7).
4: Tungate, Douglas, Lunna, Lambert, 57.82 (3-3) (14-10).
5: (Re-run) Ostergaard, Kus, Wilkinson, Davies, 57.50 (1-5) (15-15).
6: Tungate, Jorgensen, Pijper, Konopka, 57.81 (3-3) (18-18).
7: (Re-run) Kus, Douglas, Roynon, Wilson, 57.63 (2-4) (20-22).
8: (Re-run) Tungate, Pijper, Lambert, Lunna, 58.13 (2-4) (22-26).
9: Tungate, Wilkinson, Konopka, Davies (ret), 58.50 (2-4) (24-30).
10: (Re-run) Jorgensen, Kus, Roynon, Pijper, 57.62 (27-33).
11: (Re-run) Ostergaard, Douglas, Wilson, Roynon (fell), 57.87 (3-3) (30-36).
12: Kus, Davies, Lambert, Lunna, 58.43 (2-4) (32-40).
13: Douglas, Jorgensen, Ostergaard, Tungate, 58.19 (5-1) (37-41).
14: Wilkinson, Wilson, Lambert, Roynon, 59.32 (5-1) (42-42).
15: Douglas, Jorgensen, Tungate, Kus, 57.88 (5-1) (47-43).