Triple injury blow for Stags

THE novice riders of the Scunthorpe Stags showed plenty of fight, despite a 21-62 National League home defeat to a far more experienced Kent team at the Eddie Wright Raceway yesterday (Sunday). However, a big blow was injuries to three different Stags.

Reece Downes was involved in a horrific-looking three-man crash in Heat 2, in which Kent’s Brandon Freemantle ended up going over the safety fence. 15-year-old Downes sustained a broken wrist, while Freemantle sustained hip injuries.

Tyler Govier struggled with existing shoulder and wrist injuries, while Arron Mogridge sustained hand injuries in a three-man accident in Heat 15. With a further delay ahead, the re-run of Heat 15 was not held.

15-year-old Liam Sanderson won his first-ever National League ride in Heat 2, and Ryan MacDonald took his maiden win at this level in Heat 8. Danno Verge and Arron Mogridge both scored in every one of their races.

Speaking after the meeting, Stags’ chairman and team manager Richard Hollingsworth said: “I’m gutted for the riders who got hurt.

“But away from that, I saw plenty of good signs from the riders today. I thought they were better at the end of the meeting than the start of the meeting, and that’s all I ask for.

“Steve Jones had made a perfect start in Heat 15, and it looked like he was going to be difficult to catch. Arron Mogridge also made a good start in that race; and the tangle on the first bend was not his fault.

“Liam (Sanderson) is learning all the time. He learnt a few lessons out there today, but he still went out and won a race. Ryan (MacDonald) was struggling out of the gate, but then rode a steady second place in Heat 8 which became a race win when there was an engine failure in front of him.”

“Danno (Verge) was always challenging and once we get him getting better, he was start beating some decent riders.”

SCUNTHORPE 21: Arron Mogridge 5+1, Steve Jones 5, Danno Verge 4, Liam Sanderson 4, Ryan MacDonald 3, Tyler Govier 0, Reece Downes 0.
KENT 62: Benji Compton 14+1, Dan Blake 13+4, Ben Morley 13+2, Luke Chessell 12+2, Simon Lambert 10+2, Brandon Freemantle 0, David Mason r/r.
Abandoned after Heat 14 (medical cover) – Result stands