Scorpions so close to toppling leaders
SCUNTHORPE SCORPIONS 43 SOMERSET REBELS 47 (PREMIER LEAGUE)
HENDERSON INSURANCE Scunthorpe Scorpions were extremely close to a huge upset and ending the unbeaten run of league leaders Somerset Rebels, before finally succumbing to a 43-47 defeat at the Eddie Wright Raceway last night (Sunday).
Scorpions led 37-29 after 11 races, only to be overcome by a late rally by Somerset, with Rebels’ top pair of Josh Grajczonek and Rohan Tungate taking two crucial late 5-1s in Heats 13 & 15.
On another outstanding night of racing at the Eddie Wright Raceway, Michael Palm Toft was Scunthorpe’s top scorer with 11 (paid 12), registering his seventh successive double-figure tally with the club. He was supported by Lewis Kerr (10) and Carl Wilkinson (8).
Young reserve Josh Bailey battled to a fine paid 6 tally, while new signing Austrian Fritz Wallner showed plenty of fight and deserved more than his final tally of 3 (paid 4).
Somerset have now extended their run to 13 victories in 13 PL meetings, while there will be some optimism that Scorpions should be hard to beat at home for the rest of the season, in their fight to get off the bottom of the Premier League table.
Scorpions’ team manager Dave Peet said: “Unfortunately, it was a bridge too far for us in the final four races. Of course, it’s disappointing to lose when you’re eight points up with four races to go, but the lads gave it everything.
“Our new boy Fritz Wallner put in a very encouraging performance. He rode much harder than a 3 (paid 4) score suggests. Once he’s had a couple of more meetings around here, I think he’ll be a real asset.
“Josh (Auty) and Dougie (Ryan Douglas) had an off-night and that cost us, but that’s not a criticism of Josh & Ryan, because there’s meetings we’d never have won this season without them.
“Our middle order did a great job, while the reserves more than held their own. It was good to see Josh Bailey having a good meeting – he had the beating of Somerset’s lower order, especially early on.
“There are no excuses from us, because Somerset are such a good team, with two big hitters and plenty of support elsewhere. They’ve won all their league meetings, and it’s no disgrace to lose to them by only four points.”
HENDERSON INSURANCE SCUNTHORPE SCORPIONS 43
1. Josh Auty 0 2 1 0 (3)
2. Michael Palm Toft 3 1* 3 3 1 (11+1)
3. Lewis Kerr 3 2 3 2 0 (10)
4. Fritz Wallner 1 1* 1 0 (3+1)
5. Ryan Douglas 2 0 1* 1 (4+1)
6. Carl Wilkinson 3 1 2 2 (8)
7. Josh Bailey 2* 1* 1 0 (4+2)
SOMERSET REBELS 47
1. Josh Grajczonek 2 3 3 2* 3 (13+1)
2. Jake Allen 1* 0 0 0 (1+1)
3. Charles Wright 2 3 2 3 (10)
4. Paul Starke F 2* 0 3 (5)
5. Rohan Tungate 3 3 2 3 2* (13+1)
6. Bradley Wilson-Dean 1 0 2 1 1 (5)
7. Rob Shuttleworth (Guest) FX FX 0 (0)
1: (Re-run twice): Palm Toft, Grajczonek, Allen, Auty, 56.0 (3-3) (3-3).
2: (Re-run): Wilkinson, Bailey, Wilson-Dean, Shuttleworth (fell, excluded), 57.44 (5-1) (8-4).
3: Kerr, Wright, Wallner, Starke (fell), 57.38 (4-2) (12-6).
4: Tungate, Douglas, Bailey, Shuttleworth (fell, excluded), awarded – no time (3-3) (15-9).
5: Grajczonek, Kerr, Wallner, Allen, 57.00 (3-3) (18-12).
6: Tungate, Auty, Palm Toft, Wilson-Dean, 57.44 (3-3) (21-15).
7: Wright, Starke, Wilkinson, Douglas, 58.02 (1-5) (22-20).
8: Palm Toft, Wilson-Dean, Bailey, Allen, 58.06 (4-2) (26-22).
9: Kerr, Tungate, Wallner, Shuttleworth, 57.19 (4-2) (30-24).
10: Palm Toft, Wright, Auty, Starke, 57.81 (4-2) (34-26).
11: Grajczonek, Wilkinson, Douglas, Allen, 57.68 (3-3) (37-29).
12: Wright, Kerr, Wilson-Dean, Bailey, 58.50 (2-4) (39-33).
13: Tungate, Grajczonek, Douglas, Auty, 57.86 (1-5) (40-38).
14: Starke, Wilkinson, Wilson-Dean, Wallner, 58.07 (2-4) (42-42).
15: Grajczonek, Tungate, Palm Toft, Kerr, 58.44 (1-5) (43-47).
* The same two clubs meet at Somerset on Tuesday evening in the return fixture.
