Scorpions gain a point at Berwick
BERWICK BANDITS 48 SCUNTHORPE SCORPIONS 42 (SGB CHAMPIONSHIP)
HENDERSON INSURANCE Scunthorpe Scorpions eventually had to settle for a SGB Championship point, after a narrow 42-48 away loss to Berwick Bandits at Shielfield Park last night (Saturday).
In a tightly-fought contest, Scorpions kept themselves in contention in the first half of the meeting thanks to two 5-1s from the Lewis Kerr and Ryan Douglas partnership in Heats 3 & 7.
There was some close racing throughout, and both Josh Auty (Heat 9) and Michael Palm Toft (Heat 11) took superb victories from the back.
Tero Aarnio had a last bend coming-together with Bandits’ Dany Gappmaier in Heat 12. He was told by medics that he had a broken metatarsal, so withdrew from the meeting, but the good news is that Aarnio actually appears to have escaped without any broken bones and should be fit for the clash with Peterborough at the Eddie Wright Raceway today (Sunday, 5.30pm).
With the scores locked at 36-36 with three heats to go, Palm Toft came crashing down after a first bend incident with Nick Morris in Heat 13. MPT took his part in the re-run, but Bandits took a 4-2, and then clinched the meeting with a 5-1 from Heat 14.
Ex-Scorpion Morris completed a fine paid maximum by winning Heat 15, but with Kerr and Auty in second and third ahead of Kevin Doolan, Scorpions took a 3-3 that secured a league point.
Kerr (11+2), Auty (11+1) and Douglas (8+1) were the top scorers for Scorpions.
Scunthorpe promoter Rob Godfrey said: “It was nip-and-tuck all the way at Berwick last night, and we just lost out at the end.
“Both teams had rider replacement, and it worked out a little bit better for Bandits than it did for us. Nick Morris was in superb form for them.
“Our riders were battling and passing throughout the meeting, and put in a good effort.
“Tero Aarnio was told he had a broken metatarsal, so withdrew from the meeting, but he’s actually OK.
“We lost any chance of winning the meeting, after conceding an unexpected 5-1 in Heat 14, but the 3-3 in Heat 15 got us a point, which takes us just that little bit closer to both Workington and Newcastle in the league table.
“We’re definitely up for taking the three points from the home meeting against Peterborough at the Eddie Wright Raceway later today, to reduce that gap further.”
BERWICK BANDITS 48
1. Nick Morris 3 2* 3 3 3 3 (17+1)
2. Nikolaj B Jakobsen R/R
3. Dany Gappmaier 0 1 2 1* (4+1)
4. Kevin Doolan 1 3 3 0 3 0 (10)
5. David Howe 1 3 0 1* 1 (6+1)
6. Jye Etheridge 3 1 0 2 2 2* (10+1)
7. Jack Parkinson-Blackburn R 0 1 (1)
HENDERSON INSURANCE SCUNTHORPE SCORPIONS 42
1. Michael Palm Toft 0 2 3 0 (5)
2. Jake Allen R/R
3. Lewis Kerr 2* 3 1* 3 2 (11+2)
4. Ryan Douglas 3 R 2* 2 1 (8+1)
5. Josh Auty 2 1 2 3 2 1* (11+1)
6. Tero Aarnio 2 2 0 TX 0 0 (4)
7. Josh Bailey 1* 1* 0 1 0 (3+2)
1: Morris, Aarnio, Howe, Palm Toft, 65.6 (4-2) (4-2).
2: (Re-run) Etheridge, Aarnio, Bailey, Parkinson-Blackburn (ret), 67.8 (3-3) (7-5).
3: Douglas, Kerr, Doolan, Gappmaier, 67.8 (1-5) (8-10).
4: Howe, Auty, Bailey, Parkinson-Blackburn, 67.4 (3-3) (11-13).
5: Doolan, Palm Toft, Gappmaier, Douglas (ret), 66.6 (4-2) (15-15).
6: Doolan, Morris, Auty, Aarnio, 66.8 (5-1) (20-16).
7: Kerr, Douglas, Etheridge, Howe, 68.1 (1-5) (21-21).
8: Morris, Auty, Parkinson-Blackburn, Bailey, 66.9 (4-2) (25-23).
9: (Re-run) Auty, Gappmaier, Bailey, Doolan, Aarnio (excluded, tape touching), 68.7 (2-4) (27-27).
10: (Re-run) Morris, Douglas, Kerr, Etheridge, 67.5 (3-3) (30-30).
11: Palm Toft, Etheridge, Howe, Aarnio, 68.6 (3-3) (33-33).
12: Kerr, Etheridge, Gappmaier, Aarnio (3-3) (36-36).
13: (Re-run) Morris, Auty, Howe, Palm Toft, 67.4 (4-2) (40-38).
14: Doolan, Etheridge, Douglas, Bailey, 68.9 (5-1) (45-39).
15: Morris, Kerr, Auty, Doolan, 67.8 (3-3) (48-42).
* HENDERSON INSURANCE Scunthorpe Scorpions will again use rider replacement for the injured Jake Allen, as they host Peterborough Panthers at the Eddie Wright Raceway today (Sunday, 5.30pm).
