By Report: Scunthorpe Scorpions fall to narrow defeat at Poole
Scunthorpe Scorpions put up a fighting performance as they suffered a narrow defeat at league champions Poole Pirates on Wednesday night.
The Scorpions placed themselves in an excellent position for the aggregate bonus point following their 41-49 loss.
Using rider replacement for Michael Palm Toft, who was back riding in his native Denmark in the Danish League, the visitors took the lead through a 4-2 from Ryan Douglas and skipper Simon Lambert in Heat 1. They then held a narrow lead for most of the first half of the meeting, still leading 28-26 after Heat 9.
Poole then edged ahead, although Douglas remained in brilliant form, and he ended the night on a superb 18-point maximum. Jake Allen also contributed two race wins, while Lambert won Heat 3, as a Scorpion took the chequered flag in nine of the 15 races.
Scorpions took the meeting all the way to Heat 14, but the Pirates clinched the meeting with a 5-1 before the imperious Douglas completed his full house in Heat 15.
Speaking post-meeting, Scunthorpe promoter and stand-in team manager Rob Godfrey said: “It was a very good performance from Scorpions since Poole are such a strong team around their own circuit. We let a few points slip during the night as well – it could have been even closer.
“It was a masterful display by Ryan Douglas. It’s quite an achievement for a rider to get a 15-point maximum, yet alone get an 18-point maximum around a track like Poole, which is such a home fortress.
“We battled to a 4-2 in Heat 13, which prevented me from using Ryan as a tactical substitute in Heat 14, otherwise I believe Ryan would have collected a 21-point-maximum. He was head and shoulders above every other rider tonight.
“I’d set myself a target of keeping Poole at 10 points and we got within that. Apart from the blip at Glasgow last Friday, we’ve scored at least 40 points in every away meeting this season.
We’ve had a series of narrow away losses in the Cab Direct Championship, which means once we get clubs back at the Eddie Wright Raceway, we’ve got every chance of taking all three points off them. A few of those and we will soon shoot up the table and I still believe we can have a very successful season.
“But one thing I fully realise is that we’re not firing as a complete unit at the moment and that cannot and will not be allowed to continue.”
Report by Rob Peasley, photo by Ian Rispin
Contact Gi Scunthorpe News
Email us: scunthorpenews@gi-media.co.uk
