Learning curve for Stags
KING’S LYNN YOUNG STARS 67 SCUNTHORPE STAGS 24 (National League Knockout Cup, first leg)
THE BRAND NEW Scunthorpe Stags gained valuable experience in their opening away fixture of the 2014 season at King’s Lynn last night (Wednesday). At the end of 15 heats, the score stood at King’s Lynn Young Stars 67 Scunthorpe Stags 24.
Both Stags’ No 1 Steve Jones (Heat 5) and Adam Kirby (Heat 14) won races for the Stags, while the visitors took a 5-3 heat advantage in Heat 11 when Jones – the only experienced rider in the Stags’ line-up – took a Tactical Ride.
Team manager Richard Hollingsworth said: “I was happy with our performance – we ended up with more points than from the home meeting on Sunday.
“It was a real test for the lads tonight – their first away match. It is one thing riding around the Eddie Wright Raceway, where they’ve had laps, but quite another to come to another track and ride in a competitive meeting.
“A good example of what we’re trying to achieve came tonight with Ryan MacDonald. He was battling from the off, and fell while in second place in Heat 2.
“By the time of the second half Midland Development League match, Ryan got the hang of the track and produced a couple of great rides. Ryan now can’t wait to come back to King’s Lynn for the league match in August.
“The more competitive rides we give our lads, the sooner they will improve.
“Adam Kirby came in for us tonight, and produced the ride of the night to fend off Darryl Ritchings in Heat 14, while Danno Verge put in another steady performance and beat Josh Bailey, as did Adam Portwood.
“Again, I felt we finished the night riding better from when we started, and the riders learnt some valuable lesions”, concluded Hollingsworth.
The Stags are in action at Coventry on Friday night, and then entertain King’s Lynn in the return leg of the cup match at the Eddie Wright Raceway on Sunday, when Lee Dicken comes into the side.
KING’S LYNN YOUNG STARS 67
1. Lewis Rose 3 3 3 3 3 (15) (FULL MAXIMUM)
2. Darren Mallett 2* 2* 3 2* 2* (11+4) (PAID MAXIMUM)
3. James Cockle 3 2 3 3 (11)
4. Darryl Ritchings 2* 1* 2* 2 (7+3)
5. Kyle Hughes 3 3 3 2* (11+1) (PAID MAXIMUM)
6. Josh Bailey 2* 0 0 1*(3+2)
7. Scott Campos 3 2* 2* 2* (9+3) (PAID MAXIMUM)
SCUNTHORPE STAGS 24
1. Steve Jones 1 3 4# 1 1 (10)
2. Adam Portwood 0 0 1 1* (2+1)
3. Danno Verge 1 1* 0 1 (3+1)
4. Adam Kirby 0 2 1 3 0 (6)
5. Sam Woods 1 1 1 0 (3)
6. Liam Sanderson F X FX FX (0)
7. Ryan MacDonald F F 0 0 (0)
# = tactical ride
1: Rose, Mallett, Jones, Portwood, 63.59 (5-1) (5-1).
2: Campos, Bailey. Sanderson (fell), MacDonald (fell), 65.85 (5-0) (10-1).
3: Cockle, Ritchings, Verge, Kirby, 64.53 (5-1) (15-2).
4: Hughes, Campos, Woods, MacDonald (fell), 63.66 (5-1) (20-3).
5: Jones, Cockle, Ritchings, Portwood, 64.44 (3-3) (23-6).
6: Rose, Mallett, Woods, Sanderson (excluded), 63.08 (5-1) (28-7).
7: Hughes, Kirby, Verge, Bailey, 65.41 (3-3) (31-10).
8: Mallett, Campos, Portwood, MacDonald, 64.94 (5-1) (36-11).
9: Cockle, Ritchings, Woods. Sanderson (fell, excluded), no time- awarded (5-1) (41-12).
10: Rose, Mallett, Kirby, Verge, 63.75 (5-1) (46-13).
11: Hughes, JONES (TR), Portwood, Bailey, 64.03 (3-5) (49-18).
12: (Re-run) Cockle, Campos, Verge, Sanderson (fell, excluded), 64.15 (5-1) (54-19).
13: Rose, Hughes, Jones, Woods, 64.03 (5-1) (59-20).
14: Kirby, Ritchings, Bailey, MacDonald, 66.03 (3-3) (62-23).
15: Rose, Mallett, Jones, Kirby, 64.60 (5-1) (67-24).
