Scorpions out of the cup
NEWCASTLE DIAMONDS 57 SCUNTHORPE SCORPIONS 32 (PREMIER LEAGUE KNOCKOUT CUP, first round, second leg)
Newcastle win 97-82 on aggregate
HENDERSON INSURANCE Scunthorpe Scorpions bowed out of the 2016 Premier League Knockout Cup, after a 32-57 defeat at Newcastle Diamonds last night (Monday), which resulted in an 82-97 loss on aggregate. The Diamonds progress to meet Sheffield in the quarter-finals.
The Scorpions’ ten-point advantage from the first leg at the Eddie Wright Raceway looked vulnerable the moment that Newcastle posted a 5-1 in Heat 1.
The Diamonds took the aggregate lead in Heat 5, and it soon became apparent that Scunthorpe’s participation in the competition was at an end.
Already using rider replacement for the injured Alex Davies, Scorpions were further reduced in numbers after Carl Wilkinson crashed out after spinning his machine around in Heat 8.
Lewis Kerr (pictured) was an impressive visitor on the return to his old track, with Michael Palm Toft given the full quota of seven rides at reserve and joining Kerr on an 11-point tally.
For Newcastle, Ludvig Lindgren scored a paid maximum on his return from injury.
Scorpions’ team manager Dave Peet said: “It was quite a disappointing performance after the high of beating Glasgow a day earlier.
“It was a typical performance from us at Newcastle. We have a few riders who don’t like this track, but they’ve got to put that out of their heads, because we’re a beaten team before the start when we come here.
“Lewis Kerr took a ride to get his new bikes set up to the track and was then flying around his old stomping ground. He was a class apart as far as our riders were concerned, although Tofty (Michael Palm Toft) was also attacking it and made a few passes from behind.
“Young Josh Bailey was getting quicker with each ride, and our problems elsewhere meant we could give him plenty of rides, and he should reap the benefit of that on his next visit.
“Wilko (Carl Wilkinson) picked up a whiplash-type injury to his shoulder when he came off. We think he’ll be OK for the trip to Peterborough this evening (Tuesday), but we’ve got Sheffield’s Josh Bates on standby as a guest as a contingency plan.
“I’m expecting a much better performance at Peterborough, more in line with our other recent performances over the last couple of weeks.
“We’ll put the display at Newcastle behind us and move on, although we do need to do better when we return to Brough Park later in the season for the Premier League clash.”
NEWCASTLE DIAMONDS 57
1. Steve Worrall 3 3 2* 1* 3 (12+2)
2. Victor Palovaara 2* 3 3 2 1 3 (14+1)
3. Matej Kus 3 3 2 2* 2 (12+1)
4. Ludvig Lindgren 2* 2* 3 3 3 2* (15+3)
5. Robert Lambert R/R
6. Coty Garcia (Guest) 2 1* 0 0 (3+1)
7. Danny Phillips 0 1 F 0 (1)
HENDERSON INSURANCE SCUNTHORPE SCORPIONS 32
1. Ryan Douglas 0 0 1* FX (1+1)
2. Carl Wilkinson 1 1 FX (2)
3. Alex Davies R/R
4. Lewis Kerr 1 3 3 1 2 1 (11)
5. Josh Auty 2 1 0 2 (5)
6. Michael Palm Toft 3 0 0 2 1 2 3 (11)
7. Josh Bailey 1 0 0 0 1* 0 (2+1)
1: Worrall, Palovaara, Wilkinson, Douglas, 62.6 (5-1) (5-1).
2: Palm Toft, Garcia, Bailey, Phillips, 63.3 (2-4) (7-5).
3: Kus, Lindgren, Kerr, Palm Toft, 63.0 (5-1) (12-6).
4: Worrall, Auty, Phillips, Bailey, 62.4 (4-2) (16-8).
5: Kus, Lindgren, Wilkinson, Douglas, 63.3 (5-1) (21-9).
6: Palovaara, Worrall, Auty, Palm Toft, 63.2 (5-1) (26-10).
7: Kerr, Kus, Garcia, Bailey, 64.2 (3-3) (29-13).
8: Palovaara, Palm Toft, Wilkinson (fell, excluded), Phillips (fell), awarded – no time (3-2) (32-15).
9: Lindgren, Kus, Palm Toft, Auty, 63.5 (5-1) (37-16).
10: Kerr, Palovaara, Worrall, Bailey, 64.1 (3-3) (40-19).
11: Lindgren, Palm Toft, Douglas, Garcia, 64.1 (3-3) (43-22).
12: Palm Toft, Kus, Kerr, Phillips, 64.3 (2-4) (45-26).
13: Worrall, Auty, Palovaara, Douglas (fell, excluded), awarded – no time (4-2) (49-28).
14: Lindgren, Kerr, Bailey, Garcia, 64.0 (3-3) (52-31).
15: Palovaara, Lindgren, Kerr, Bailey, 64.3 (5-1) (57-32).
* HENDERSON INSURANCE Scunthorpe Scorpions head to Peterborough’s East Of England Showground tonight (Tuesday, 7.30pm) needing a win, draw or narrow defeat to haul themselves off the bottom of the Premier League table, above Redcar Bears.
