Scorpions out to finish job

HENDERSON INSURANCE Scunthorpe Scorpions travel to Peterborough’s East Of England Arena tonight (Saturday, 7pm), with an excellent chance of reaching the Knockout Cup Final at second tier level for the first time in the club’s history.

Scunthorpe built up a 28-point lead over Panthers in their home leg of the semi-final at the Eddie Wright Raceway on October 5th, after a superb 59-31 victory over the current cup holders, with Jake Allen leading the way with a paid maximum and several other riders all scoring very heavily in an excellent team performance.

Scorpions have again booked Sheffield’s Kyle Howarth as a guest for the injured Josh Auty, meaning they track an unchanged septet from the first leg.

A final against Workington Comets awaits the aggregate winners.

Scunthorpe promoter Rob Godfrey said: “The one thing we need to guard against is complacency – and starting to think we’re already in the final. The tie is only half over, and we still need to go and do a job at Peterborough.

“It’s not really about protecting a lead, so much as going out with the same mindset as usual, when we’re out to win the meeting.

“Every meeting we have in the cup is now a big one, and I hope to see plenty of our hardcore support down there, cheering on the lads.

“We’ll take it one meeting at a time, but the prize that is driving us on is our first major honour since we won the league in 2012.”

Expected teams for tonight:

Peterborough Panthers: 1. Ricky Wells (guest), 2. Emil Grondal, 3. Rider replacement for Bradley Wilson-Dean, 4. Thomas Jorgensen (guest), 5. Ulrich Ostergaard, 6. Carl Wilkinson (guest), 7. Simon Lambert.

Henderson Insurance Scunthorpe Scorpions: 1. Kyle Howarth (guest), 2. Stefan Nielsen, 3. Jason Garrity, 4. Jake Allen, 5. Steve Worrall (captain), 6. Danny Phillips, 7. Gino Manzares.