ELLIE ROSE TRAVEL Scunthorpe Scorpions took an early lead at Poole last night (Wednesday), but eventually it was league leaders Poole Pirates who took a convincing 58-31 victory.

Scunthorpe remain in the top four, despite the defeat, and are still on course for the end-of-season play-offs.

Scunthorpe went into the meeting without talismanic No 1 and skipper Josh Pickering, who is currently out injured. Premership rider Tom Brennan came and scored 14 points in his place, but Scorpions still missed the galvanising force that Pickering is on the rest of the side.

Scorpions took the lead with a 5-1 from Luke Harrison and Jacob Hook in Heat 3, and the scores were still level at 15-15 after five races. But Poole then pulled ahead with five successive heat advantages. Harrison suffered a fall in Heat 15, which eventually ended up a match-race, with Poole’s William Cairns pipping Brennan.

Injured star Dan Gilkes and Michael Palm Toft made sure Ryan Ingram got to the meeting, after Ingram’s van broke down, a demonstration of the team spirit within the Scunthorpe side.

POOLE 58: Will Cairns 13+1, Jordan Jenkins 11+2, Zach Cook 10+1, Nick Morris 8+3, Lewis Kerr 7+1, Slater Lightcap 5, Cooper Rushen 4.
SCUNTHORPE 31: Tom Brennan 14, Luke Harrison 8, Nathan Ablitt 4, Jacob Hook 2+1, Michael Palm Toft 2, Connor Mountain 1, Ryan Ingram 0.

* ELLIE ROSE TRAVEL Scunthorpe Scorpions are next in action at Scunthorpe’s Eddie Wright Raceway a week on Friday (August 21) at 7.30pm, when they host Workington Comets in the Cab Direct Championship.

Photo Credits: Ian Rispin

Report by: Rob Peasley