ELLIE ROSE TRAVEL Scunthorpe Scorpions qualified for their first play-off Grand Final since 2012, after scoring 39 points in their second leg of their Cab Direct Championship play-off semi-final at Glasgow last night (Friday).

Glasgow Tigers won 51-39 on the night, but it was Scorpions who triumphed 92-88 on aggregate and progressed to the final. While the final overall scores look close, Scorpions never looked like being beaten on aggregate from the moment when guest Jody Scott and Connor Mountain took a 5-1 in Heat 8.

Scunthorpe will face reigning champions Poole Pirates in the Grand Final, on dates due to be announced very soon. The first leg is likely to take place at Scunthorpe’s Eddie Wright Raceway, with the second leg down on the South Coast in Dorset. Whoever has the most points over two legs will be crowned Cab Direct Championship league champions.

It is the first time that Scunthorpe have qualified for a play-off final since 2012. Scorpions defeated Somerset Rebels by 92-91 after two epic legs of speedway, with Nick Morris and Josh Auty securing victory with a 3-3 in the final race. David Howe – now manager of Scorpions – was a member of that side, although he was injured by the time of the final.

Having won the first leg at the Eddie Wright Raceway two weeks ago on September 11 by 53-37,  Scunthorpe could not have got to a better start at Glasgow, with Scott fending off home No 1 Leon Flint to join Scorpions’ skipper Josh Pickering for a 5-1. That placed Scorpions 20 point ahead on aggregate.

Glasgow then moved 24-18 ahead on the night after six races, before Michael Palm Toft took a notable victory over Glasgow skipper Chris Harris in Heat 7. That came the pivotal Heat 8, when Scott and Mountain took a 5-1 over Freddy Hodder and Sam Hagon.

Scorpions remained two points behind on the night and 14 points ahead on aggregate, after Mountain came back out in Heat 9 and joined Jacob Hook – returning from injury – for a 3-3. Hook just held out Kevin Juhl Pedersen for third place in a photo-finish. Earlier, Palm Toft had likewise held on in a photo-finish for second place against Pedersen in Heat 3. On a night every point was fought over, such points are priceless.

Pickering won his third successive race in Heat 11, after battling back past opposing skipper Harris in a breath-taking race. The 4-2 from Pickering and Scott moved Scunthorpe moved within sight of their prize.

Nathan Ablitt took a vital second place in Heat 12, ahead of Freddy Hodder, and that left Scorpions needing just a single second place from the final three races. Pickering fought with Harris in the early stages of Heat 13, but then settled for second place, knowing that – barring two 5-0s – Scorpions were though to the final.

Scunthorpe needed just a finisher in Heat 14 to be mathematically sure. Palm Toft took second place, after winning a battle with Hodder in another very close finish, and the celebrations could begin in earnest.

Glasgow took a consolation 5-1 in Heat 15, despite Scott closing in Glasgow guest Anders Rowe at the end of the race. Scott was guesting for Luke Harrison, who rides in the European Under-19 Pairs Final in Germany today (Saturday).

Pickering top-scored for Scorpions with 11 points, while Palm Toft (9), Mountain (8+1) and Scott (7+1) all scored well. David Howe made full use of trump-card reserve Mountain, giving him all seven outings. He scored all his points from his opening four rides.

Both Hook (2+1) and Ablitt (2) took points from Glasgow at a key time in the meeting. While 16-year-old Ryan Ingram did not score on the night, his 4+2 at Scunthorpe in the first leg was vital to the final aggregate score.

Scorpions’ team manager David Howe said: “It feels pretty good. It’s been a tense old meeting, and it’s been tough on a few of our riders. I feel a bit sorry for Connor (Mountain) because we burnt him out halfway through the meeting!

“Firstly, it’s a relief. When you do so well in the first leg, you know you’ve got to hold onto it. But the boys have done it and congratulations to them. We did most of the work at Scunthorpe, to be honest, but to keep it so close tonight, I’m really happy.

“We’re not a massive club, and the last Grand Final we made was in 2012. Everything’s done on a budget at Scunthorpe, but everybody chips in and works hard. It’s a very family-run club so to make the Final is special. Poole are a very strong team, but we’ve shown what we can do. To be there is amazing, and you never know what can happen.”

GLASGOW 51: Anders Rowe 12+2, Chris Harris 12+1, Freddy Hodder 8, Leon Flint 7+1, Kevin Juhl Pedersen 6, Sam Hagon 4, Mario Hausl 2.

SCUNTHORPE 39: Josh Pickering 11, Michael Palm Toft 9, Connor Mountain 8+1, Jody Scott 7+1, Jacob Hook 2+1, Nathan Ablitt 2, Ryan Ingram 0.

Scunthorpe win 92-88 on aggregate

* PLEASE keep an eye on the club’s social media and the official website at https://www.scunthorpe-speedway.co.uk/ for dates for the Cab Direct Championship Grand Final between the Ellie Rose Travel Scunthorpe Scorpions and Poole Pirates.

Photo Credits: Phil Lanning & Ian Rispin

Report by: Rob Peasley