Scorpions let it slip, despite brilliant home debut from Allen
SCUNTHORPE SCORPIONS 41 EDINBURGH MONARCHS 49 (SGB CHAMPIONSHIP)
HENDERSON INSURANCE Scunthorpe Scorpions collapsed in the final few races, as they lost 41-49 to the Edinburgh Monarchs at the Eddie Wright Raceway yesterday (Sunday).
With Jake Allen producing a storming home debut, despite still recovering from an injured wrist, Scorpions held an eight-point lead after nine races, but Monarchs took three 5-1s and two 4-2 in the final six races to grab all four points on offer and take a large step towards the play-offs.
Heat 12 was the hammer blow for Scorpions. Tero Aarnio was leading, after passing Mitchell Davey, with Michael Palm Toft threatening in third place.
But Aarnio took an awkward fall entering the third bend, hurting his arm.
The meeting had been held with dark clouds up above and occasional rain, and the heavens opened for a short while at this point, making conditions a little trickier for the remaining races.
The eventual re-run of Heat 12 saw Palm Toft seemingly struggling for power, as Monarchs took a 5-1.
Monarchs then wrapped up the meeting with further 5-1s in Heats 13 and 15.
Allen top scored for Scorpions on 11 points from four rides, while Josh Auty contributed 10 points after a typically whole-hearted effort.
Jake Allen said: “It was a good day for me and nice to finally ride in a home meeting for Scunthorpe.
“Last year, when I came here for Somerset, I didn’t have a good meeting and only scored one point. But I put that to the back of my mind. I just concentrated on making some good starts and took it from there.
“I also won the one race from behind (Heat 8). In that one, I just did one of the moves that I do at Somerset – to go wide and then cut back. You make a long straight out of it, and pass riders that way.
“Scunthorpe and Somerset are both a similar shape, and both require a similar set-up and, of course, that helps me. It makes it that much easier to adapt.
“My wrist still isn’t quite 100%, which is why I wasn’t in Heat 15. It was a bit sore by then and I’ve got to be careful.
“I’ve got more meetings coming up for Scunthorpe, and I want to be riding in those and have a strong finish to the season. I didn’t want to do anything silly to aggravate my injury – I’ve learnt my lesson from when I tried to comeback too soon at Swindon a couple of weeks ago.
“As for the team, we started off well enough today, but Edinburgh rode it better later on.”
HENDERSON INSURANCE SCUNTHORPE SCORPIONS 41
1. Lewis Kerr 2* 1 0 R (3+1)
2. Jake Allen 3 3 3 2 (11)
3. Michael Palm Toft 2 1* 1* 1 (5+2)
4. Ryan Douglas 1* 2 2 3 0 (8)
5. Josh Auty 3 3 2 1 1 (10)
6. Tero Aarnio 3 0 MX FX (3)
7. Josh Bailey 1 F 0 0 R (1)
EDINBURGH MONARCHS 49
1. Richie Worrall (Guest) 1 3 3 3 3 (13)
2. Josh Pickering 0 R 2 1 (3)
3. Ricky Wells 3 1* 3 3 (10+1)
4. Mark Riss 0 2 1 2 (5)
5. Erik Riss 1* 2 3 2* 2* (10+3)
6. Max Clegg 2 0 0 (2)
7. Mitchell Davey 0 2 1* 2* 1* (6+3)
1: Allen, Kerr, Worrall, Pickering, 59.88 (5-1) (5-1).
2: Aarnio, Clegg, Bailey, Davey, 62.50 (4-2) (9-3).
3: Wells, Palm Toft, Douglas, M.Riss, 60.50 (3-3) (12-6).
4: Auty, Davey, E.Riss, Bailey (fell), 61.82 (3-3) (15-9).
5: Worrall, Douglas, Palm Toft, Pickering (ret), 60.44 (3-3) (18-12).
6: Allen, E.Riss, Kerr, Clegg, 59.56 (4-2) (22-14).
7: Auty, M.Riss, Wells, Aarnio, 58.81 (3-3) (25-17).
8: Allen, Pickering, Davey, Bailey, 58.81 (3-3) (28-20).
9: E.Riss, Douglas, Palm Toft, Clegg, 59.87 (3-3) (31-23).
10: Wells, Allen, M.Riss, Kerr, 60.25 (2-4) (33-27).
11: Worrall, Auty, Pickering, Bailey, Aarnio (excluded, two minutes), 59.93 (2-4) (35-31).
12: (Re-run) Wells, Davey, Palm Toft, Aarnio (fell, excluded), 66.50 (1-5) (36-36).
13: Worrall, E.Riss, Auty, Kerr (ret), 63.19 (1-5) (37-41).
14: Douglas, M.Riss, Davey, Bailey (ret), 65.00 (3-3) (40-44).
15: Worrall, E.Riss, Auty, Douglas, 63.00 (1-5) (41-49).
PHOTO: Jake Allen leading the way.
