Scorpions fall away in final stages

IPSWICH WITCHES 59 SCUNTHORPE SCORPIONS 33 (PREMIER LEAGUE)

FLUIDAIR POWER Scunthorpe Scorpions, supported by Henderson Insurance, lost 33-59 at Ipswich last night (Thursday) after falling away in the closing stages of the meeting.

The Scorpions only trailed 24-32 after 9 races, but then conceded heat advantages to the Witches in each of the final six races.

The meeting went ahead, after some pretty heavy showers during the afternoon.

Scorpions’ team manager Dave Peet said: “I think we rode better than the final scoreline suggests. Ipswich had two outstanding riders in Danny King and Nico Covatti, but we were at the races with the rest of them.

“In Heat 7, when we used our tactical ride, we had an 8-1 for a bit, after Theo (Pijper) pinned Covatti to the inside. But Covatti then produced an absolutely stunning ride, to pass Theo and then Wilko (Carl Wilkinson) as well.

“We threw away some points as well, most notably when Thomas Jorgensen & Alex Davies had a coming together on the second bend of Heat 11, after they had gated ahead on a 5-1.

“Nike Lunna impressed for us at reserve, and it was valuable experience for him around Ipswich, as it was for Ryan Douglas, who missed our meeting here at the back end of last year because he was injured. Ryan was also getting stuck in, and will ride this track all the better in the future for it.”

Douglas denied Covatti a paid maximum by finishing second in Heat 15. He ended up as Scorpions’ top scorer on 8 points, backed by Wilkinson (7) and Lunna (6+2). Ipswich’s Great Britain international King was unbeaten by an opposing rider.

IPSWICH WITCHES 59
1. Danny King 3 3 3 3 2* 3 (17+1)
2. Rohan Tungate R/R
3. Gino Manzares 1* 2* 2* 1* 3 (9+4)
4. Cameron Heeps 1 2 3 2 3 (11)
5. Nico Covatti 3 3 2* 3 3 1 (15+1)
6. Stefan Nielsen 2 0 1 2* (5+1)
7. Ashley Morris 1* 0 0 1 (2+1)

FLUIDAIR POWER SCUNTHORPE SCORPIONS SUPPORTED BY HENDERSON INSURANCE 33
1. Thomas Jorgensen (Guest) 0 1 2 1 (4)
2. Alex Davies 2 0 2 FX (4)
3. Theo Pijper 0 1* 1 2 (4+1)
4. Carl Wilkinson 3 4# 0 F (7)
5. Ryan Douglas 2 1 3 0 2 (8)
6. Matt Williamson (Guest) F 0 0 (0)
7. Nike Lunna 3 1* 1* F 1 0 (6+2)

# = tactical ride

1: (Re-run) King, Davies, Heeps, Jorgensen, 59.2 (4-2) (4-2).
2: Lunna, Nielsen, Morris. Williamson (fell), 60.2 (3-3) (7-5).
3: Wilkinson, Heeps, Manzares, Pijper, 61.0 (3-3) (10-8).
4: Covatti, Douglas, Lunna, Morris, 59.9 (3-3) (13-11).
5: Heeps, Manzares, Jorgensen, Davies, 59.3 (5-1) (18-12).
6: King, Manzares, Douglas, Williamson, 59.8 (5-1) (23-13).
7: Covatti, WILKINSON (TR), Pijper, Nielsen, 59.7 (3-5) (26-18).
8: King, Davies, Lunna, Morris, 59.9 (3-3) (29-21).
9: Douglas, Heeps, Manzares, Williamson, 60.1 (3-3) (32-24).
10: King, Covatti, Pijper, Wilkinson, 59.8 (5-1) (37-25).
11: (Re-run) Covatti, Jorgensen, Nielsen. Davies (fell, excluded), 61.1 (4-2) (41-27).
12: Manzares, Pijper, Morris. Lunna (fell), 61.2 (4-2) (45-27).
13: Covatti, King, Jorgensen, Douglas, 60.3 (5-1) (50-30).
14: Heeps, Nielsen, Lunna. Wilkinson (fell), 61.5 (5-1) (55-31).
15: King, Douglas, Covatti, Lunna, 60.1 (4-2) (59-33).