Stunning victory for Scorpions at Workington

WORKINGTON COMETS 43 SCUNTHORPE SCORPIONS 50 (SGB CHAMPIONSHIP)

LAST-HEAT heroics from Michael Palm Toft and Lewis Kerr over current British Champion Craig Cook secured a brilliant 50-43 SGB Championship victory for Henderson Insurance Scunthorpe Scorpions at Workington last night (Saturday) – the club’s first win at Derwent Park for 37 years. It was a terrific result for new-look Scorpions, with recent signing Jake Allen scoring 6 paid 9 on his debut for the club.

Scorpions led by three points entering the all-important Heat 15, with Palm Toft and Kerr facing stiff opposition from Craig Cook and Ty Proctor, who had won seven of their previous eight races between them.

The race was brought back after Cook moved at the tapes, but the re-run saw Palm Toft jet away, while Kerr won a battle for second place with Cook. The 5-1 over the current British Champion meant not only did Scorpions win the meeting, but also claim the extra point for an away victory by seven points or more.

Scorpions were the more solid team all night. They provided just six heat winners to Comets’ nine, but crucially only had three last places. Another telling statistic is that every Scorpion won a race apart from Josh Bailey, while Bailey still scored in each of his three rides.

Scunthorpe took an early lead 26-16 lead, but Comets’ Mason Campton won Heat 8 as a tactical ride, and the home side then edged their way back into the meeting.

Scorpions’ lead was down to one point with two races to go, but Ryan Douglas and Tero Aarnio posted a 4-2 in Heat 14, and then came the grandstand finish from Palm Toft and Kerr.

Kerr (10+2), Aarnio (10) and Palm Toft (9+1) were top scorers for Scorpions, but it was an all-round team performance where all seven riders contributed.

The last time that Scunthorpe won at Workington was on April 4, 1980, when Scunthorpe Stags took a 45-33 victory.

Scorpions’ team manager Dave Peet said: “Make no mistake – this was a superb result for the club.

“We are a strength-in-depth side, and the key to us getting results is avoiding last places. We did that perfectly at Workington. Every rider came forward and contributed.

“We went into an early 10-point-lead. One or two things then went against us. For example, Tero Aarnio was terrific in the opening part of the meeting, but he then had clutch problems which blunted his scoring, and also meant that he wasn’t available for me to put into Heat 8 to block Mason Campton’s tactical ride, because he was still sorting out his bike at that point.

“It did start to get a bit tight, and it meant the pressure was on entering the final race. But Michael (Palm Toft) and Lewis (Kerr) did a simply brilliant job in getting a 5-1 over Craig Cook.

“Michael got out in front, while Lewis was dicing with Cookie for second place. All the time, Michael was pulling further ahead, and then the icing on the cake was that Lewis won his battle and we got the extra point as well.

“Jake Allen had a cracking debut for us, despite bike problems in Heat 8, where he had to cruise around to get the third-placed point. But he went out and did the job that we’re looking for him to do.”

WORKINGTON COMETS 43
1. Craig Cook 3 3 3 3 1 (13)
2. Mason Campton 0 X 6# 1 (7)
3. Ty Proctor 3 1 3 3 0 (10)
4. Matt Williamson 0 0 0 0 (0)
5. Thomas Jorgensen 2 2 3 1 (8)
6. James Sarjeant 2 0 X 0 1 2 (5)
7. Tom Woolley (Guest) 0 0 0 (0)

HENDERSON INSURANCE SCUNTHORPE SCORPIONS 50
1. Michael Palm Toft MX 2* 2 2 3 (9+1)
2. Jake Allen 1* 3 1* 1* (6+3)
3. Lewis Kerr 1* 3 2 2 2* (10+2)
4. Ryan Douglas 2 1 F 3 (6)
5. Josh Auty 3 1* 1* 0 (5+2)
6. Tero Aarnio 2 3 2 2 0 1 (10)
7. Josh Bailey 1 1 2 (4)

# = tactical ride

1: Cook, Aarnio, Allen, Campton, Palm Toft (excluded, two minutes), 63.2 (3-3) (3-3).
2: Aarnio, Sarjeant, Bailey, Wooley, 64.1 (2-4) (5-7).
3: Proctor, Douglas, Kerr, Williamson, 64.1 (3-3) (8-10).
4: Auty, Jorgensen, Bailey, Wooley, 63.6 (2-4) (10-14).
5: Allen, Palm Toft, Proctor, Williamson, 64.5 (1-5) (11-19).
6: (Re-run twice) Cook, Aarnio, Auty, Sarjeant, Campton (excluded, starting offence), 63.3 (3-3) (14-22).
7: Kerr, Jorgensen, Douglas, Wooley, 64.4 (2-4) (16-26).
8: (Re-run) CAMPTON (TR), Bailey, Allen, Sarjeant (excluded, starting offence) 64.8 (6-3) (22-29).
9: Proctor, Aarnio, Auty, Williamson, 64.0 (3-3) (25-32).
10: Cook, Kerr, Campton, Douglas (fell), 64.0 (4-2) (29-34).
11: Jorgensen, Palm Toft, Allen, Sarjeant, 64.6 (3-3) (32-37).
12: (Re-run) Proctor, Kerr, Sarjeant, Aarnio, 64.8 (4-2) (36-39).
13: Cook, Palm Toft, Jorgensen, Auty, 64.6 (4-2) (40-41).
14: Douglas, Sarjeant, Aarnio, Williamson, 65.8 (2-4) (42-45).
15: (Re-run) Palm Toft, Kerr, Cook, Proctor, 64.5 (1-5) (43-50).

* Henderson Insurance Scunthorpe Scorpions are chasing silverware in the SGB Championship Fours at Peterborough this afternoon (Sunday, 2pm).