REPORT: Scunthorpe Scorpions 43 Poole Pirates 47

Given the quality of side that the Scunthorpe Scorpions are, especially at home, and the fact that they were a real test at Wimborne Road  in the corresponding fixture, this could easily have been a top-spot-chasing banana skin for the 'Wessex Marine' Pirates who were without their in-form reserve Anders Rowe as he was again on International duty and also had their other regular reserve, Adam Roynon, still out through injury, with Alfie Bowtell coming in for Rowe and a rapidly improving, star of the future, Sam Hagon taking the number seven duties.

Taking points off Australian Ryan Douglas again proved to be tough, for whilst Richard Lawson hunted him down with great determination in heat one, it was a seventh league race win for Douglas over the Pirates, and with Newman suffering bike problems in the first quarter of a lap, the Scorpions immediately tightened up the battle for the bonus with a two-point heat advantage. Steve Boxall, a guest for Scunthorpe's absent reserve Drew Kemp who was with Rowe in Latvia, showed plenty of pace in heat two but there were some encouraging signs from Hagon as he showed good skill to pass Nathan Ablitt. Although Ben Cook missed the start in heat three he wasted no time in getting by back-from-injury Michael Palm-Toft and follow home Zach as Simon Lambert was in control. Jake Allen was strong enough to hold off Steve Worrall in heat four whilst Hagon's search for more passing ended with a third lap fall, and all of a sudden Poole's eight point advantage from Wimborne Road had now been halved to four.

Still looking for their first winner, it wasn't to come in the form of Lawson as he was preoccupied having to work to hold out Palm-Toft, which allowed Lambert to get away in heat five. Crucially Lawson prevailed in holding second as Newman got a wee bit out of shape and lost touch with the leading three. Gary Havelock chose an early tactical substitute move, pairing Lawson up with the programmed Worrall in heat six. In the way was Douglas and it was the two number ones that traded places in a superb race and in the end it proved to be another win for the Australian. Heat seven produced a close finish, going in the favour of Jake Allen who held out against Zach Cook. In the early stages Ablitt tried desperately hard to squeeze his way by the two Cooks but they both quickly countered. 

That first Poole race winner was well worth waiting for as Newman took charge in heat eight and brilliantly Hagon made a last to second move to convert it into a 5-1, quite evidently a turning point in the meeting, although in heat nine Palm-Toft demonstrated he was back safe and sound as he made a good move on Worall, who then had to be focused on trying to keep out the hard-pressing Lambert, a challenge that the Poole skipper revelled and succeeded in, but the Scorpions still held the lead on the night (29-25). 

There was a sense that this meeting was building to an intense climax and the battle for the first turn in heat ten evidenced that, as Mountain tumbled. With all four back, the restart saw Ben Cook attack the outside to sensationally pick off Douglas, (yes he is beatable) and with Zach in third the Pirate comeback was well and truly on. Lawson tried everything he could muster to try and deny Allen a third successive victory but without success, Newman's third place again a valuable point. Poole were on an early 5-1 in heat eleven before Bowtell was pegged back, but unperturbed he kept battling and was there to pass Boxall just as the Scunthorpe guest was pulling up, and that levelled the scores on the night. There was a 'captain's innings' in heat thirteen as Worrall kept Douglas at bay - two defeats in as many rides for the hitherto unstoppable Scorpion number one - and Lawson did likewise on Jake Allen. That edged Poole ahead and another brave and good pass by Hagon in heat fourteen to secure third place kept things that way as Palm-Toft delivered his second win of the night. Lawson then became rider number three to lower Douglas' colours in a tense heat fifteen with nothing between the pair of them and just behind Ben Cook extended the margin of Poole's fifth away league win of the season, by slipping past Allen on the line.
 

SCUNTHORPE 43
Ryan Douglas 3,3,2,2,2=12 (5)
Connor Mountain 1,0,1,0=2 (4)
Simon Lambert 3,3,1,2=9 (4)
Michael Palm-Toft 0,1,3,3=7 (4)
Jake Allen 3,3,3,0,0=9 (5)
Nathan Ablitt 0,0,0,RS=0 (3)
Steve Boxall 3,1,0,R,0=4 (5)
.
POOLE 47
Richard Lawson 2,2,2,2,1,3=12 (6)
Kyle Newman R,0,3,1'=4+1 (4)
Ben Cook 1',1',3,3,1=9+2 (5)
Zach Cook 2,2,1,2=7 (4)
Steve Worrall 2,1',2,3=8+1 (4)
Alfie Bowtell 1',TS,0,1=2+1 (3)
Sam Hagon 2,F,2',1'=5+2 (4)
.
Ht 1:  R.Douglas, R.Lawson, C.Mountain, K.Newman [rtd] 4-2 4-2 [57.39]
Ht 2:  S.Boxall, S.Hagon, A.Bowtell, N.Ablitt 3-3 7-5 [57.29]
Ht 3:  S.Lambert, Z.Cook, B.Cook, M.Palm-Toft 3-3 10-8 [57.17]
Ht 4:  J.Allen, S.Worrall, S.Boxall, S.Hagon [fell] 4-2 14-10 [57.11]
Ht 5:  S.Lambert, R.Lawson, M.Palm-Toft, K.Newman 4-2 18-12 [57.49]
Ht 6:  R.Douglas, R.Lawson, S.Worrall, C.Mountain, A.Bowtell [Tac Subbed] 3-3 21-15 [57.95]
Ht 7:  J.Allen, Z.Cook, B.Cook, N.Ablitt 3-3 24-18 [58.03]
Ht 8:  K.Newman, S.Hagon, C.Mountain, S.Boxall 1-5 25-23 [58.69]
Ht 9:  M.Palm-Toft, S.Worrall, S.Lambert, A.Bowtell 4-2 29-25 [57.9]
Ht 10:  B.Cook, R.Douglas, Z.Cook, C.Mountain 2-4 31-29 [58.09]
Ht 11:  J.Allen, R.Lawson, K.Newman, N.Ablitt 3-3 34-32 [59.39]
Ht 12:  B.Cook, S.Lambert, A.Bowtell, S.Boxall [rtd] 2-4 36-36 [58.18]
Ht 13:  S.Worrall, R.Douglas, R.Lawson, J.Allen 2-4 38-40 [58.46]
Ht 14:  M.Palm-Toft, Z.Cook, S.Hagon, S.Boxall 3-3 41-43 [58.36]
Ht 15:  R.Lawson, R.Douglas, B.Cook, J.Allen 2-4 43-47 [58.7]

SGB Referee: Mr Simon Humphrey-Kennett 
SCUNTHORPE won toss and deferred choice to heat 15; POOLE chose gates 2&4 |SCUNTHORPE choose gates 1&3 in heat 15  
League Points: SCUNTHORPE 0 POOLE 3

Photo Ian Rispin (2022)