Brilliant Lewis inspires Scorpions to well-earned point

NEWCASTLE DIAMONDS 46 SCUNTHORPE SCORPIONS 44 (SGB CHAMPIONSHIP)

PROMOTER Rob Godfrey described Henderson Insurance Scunthorpe Scorpions’ performance at Newcastle yesterday evening (Sunday), resulting in a narrow 44-46 loss, as a “real tonic to the whole club”, as Scorpions put the off-track turmoil of the last few days behind them.

Rocked by both Josh Auty and Josh Bailey quitting within a traumatic 24-hour period, shell-shocked Scorpions went into last night’s encounter using rider replacement for Auty and with Jack-Parkinson Blackburn guesting for Bailey.

It was a real test of character for the remaining members of the side and they passed with flying colours.

The scores were close all night, with never more than four points separating the two sides, and Scorpions were two points ahead in the mid-stages of the meeting.

Lewis Kerr again led the way for Scorpions and won five of his six outings on his way to a 16-point-tally, including the only defeat of the evening of British Under-21 Champion Robert Lambert in Heat 15, as he combined with skipper Michael Palm Toft for a 4-2 that clinched a SGB Championship point for the visitors.

Palm Toft (12) and reserve Tero Aarnio (10+1) were also in double figures for Scorpions.

The tight confines of Brough Park has been the scene of some heavy defeats for Scorpions over the last few years, so this was a superb performance.

Godfrey says: “I know everyone who sees the final score of last night’s meeting at Brough Park will think this is a great result for us, but there’s also a part of me that realises that we could have won the meeting! So, while it’s a big positive for us, it could have so easily been even better.

“Lewis Kerr and Michael Palm Toft (both pictured) were superb again. They have both demonstrated this season that they can beat the best in this league. Lewis beat Robert Lambert in Heat 15 and Michael nearly did that in Heat 13 as well.

“It’s re-assuring to me, that given what’s happened over the last few days, to know that we still have real quality in the team in the shape of Lewis and Michael.

“Plus whatever we do with the team, we’re going to end up with at least one reserve who can still a lot of points, like Tero (Aarnio) did at Brough Park.

“Young Jack-Parkinson Blackburn also put in a tremendous performance as our guest at No 7.

“Now we’ve had two riders quit, I’m more focused on what the club needs to do going forward. Our performance at Newcastle reiterated to me what our strengths are, and also our weaknesses that we need to work on.

“Newcastle is traditionally a track where we fare very poorly, where we’ve taken some pastings, but we’ve now laid that bogey.

“Given off-track events, it was a real tonic to the whole club.”

NEWCASTLE DIAMONDS 46
1. Robert Lambert 3 3 3 3 2 (14)
2. Ashley Morris 1 0 2 2* (5+1)
3. Lewis Rose 1* 2 1* 2 (6+2)
4. Ludvig Lindgren 2 0 2 3 (7)
5. Steve Worrall 3 2 3 1 0 (9)
6. Ben Hopwood 2 1* 1* 0 1 (5+2)
7. Connor Coles 0 FX 0 (0)

HENDERSON INSURANCE SCUNTHORPE SCORPIONS 44
1. Michael Palm Toft 2 3 2 2 2 1 (12)
2. Carl Wilkinson 0 TX 3 1* 0 (4+1)
3. Lewis Kerr 3 3 3 1 3 3 (16)
4. Ryan Douglas 0 FX F (0)
5. Josh Auty R/R
6. Tero Aarnio 3 2 1 1* 0 1 2 (10+1)
7. Jack Parkinson-Blackburn (Guest) 1 1* 0 FX (2+1)

1: Lambert, Palm Toft, Morris, Wilkinson, 63.7 (4-2) (4-2).
2: Aarnio, Hopwood, Parkinson-Blackburn, Coles, 65.2 (2-4) (6-6).
3: Kerr, Lindgren, Rose, Douglas, 64.6 (3-3) (9-9).
4: Worrall, Aarnio, Parkinson-Blackburn, Coles (fell, excluded), awarded – no time (3-3) (12-12).
5: (Re-run) Palm Toft, Rose, Aarnio, Lindgren, Wilkinson (excluded, tape touching), 63.8 (2-4) (14-16).
6: Lambert, Palm Toft, Aarnio, Morris, 63.0 (3-3) (17-19).
7: Kerr, Worrall, Hopwood, Douglas (fell, excluded), awarded – no time (3-3) (20-22).
8: Wilkinson, Morris, Hopwood, Parkinson-Blackburn, 65.6 (3-3) (23-25).
9: Kerr, Lindgren, Rose, Aarnio, 64.1 (3-3) (26-28).
10: Lambert, Morris, Kerr, Douglas (fell), 63.9 (5-1) (31-29).
11: Worrall, Palm Toft, Wilkinson, Hopwood, 63.8 (3-3) (34-32).
12: Kerr, Rose, Aarnio, Coles, 64.4 (2-4) (36-36).
13: Lambert, Palm Toft, Worrall, Wilkinson, 64.4 (4-2) (40-38).
14: Lindgren, Aarnio. Hopwood, Parkinson-Blackburn (fell, excluded), awarded – no time (4-2) (44-40).
15: Kerr, Lambert, Palm Toft, Worrall, 63.3 (2-4) (46-44).