REPORT: Scunthorpe Scorpions v Poole Pirates

Pirates returned to action after a near three week break and secured an away point at the home of the currrent league leaders Scunthorpe.

SCUNTHORPE 45
Josh Pickering 3,3,3,2',3=14+1 (5)
Rider Replacement  RR,RR,RR,RR=0 ()
Dan Gilkes 3,1,0,0,RS=4 (4)
Michael Palm-Toft 0,0,1,RS=1 (3)
Luke Harrison 1,3,1',3,3,0=11+1 (6)
Ryan Ingram 0,3,RS,1,1,1,0=6 (6)
Nathan Ablitt 1,2,RS,2',2,0,2=9+1 (6)

POOLE 45
Richard Lawson 2,2',2,1,2=9+1 (5)
William Cairns 0,3,3,0=6 (4)
Lewis Kerr 2,0,2,2'=6+1 (4)
Cooper Rushen 1',1,0,1=3+1 (4)
Zach Cook 2,2,3,0,1=8 (5)
Edward Kennett 3,1',2',3,3=12+2 (5)
Kyle Newman 1,0,0,RS=1 (3)

Ht 1:  J.Pickering, R.Lawson, N.Ablitt, W.Cairns 4-2 4-2 [57.17]
Ht 2:  E.Kennett, N.Ablitt, K.Newman, R.Ingram 2-4 6-6 [57.88]
Ht 3:  D.Gilkes, L.Kerr, C.Rushen, M.Palm-Toft 3-3 9-9 [57.14]
Ht 4:  R.Ingram, Z.Cook, L.Harrison, K.Newman 4-2 13-11 [57.79]
Ht 5:  W.Cairns, R.Lawson, D.Gilkes, M.Palm-Toft 1-5 14-16 [57.04]
Ht 6:  J.Pickering, Z.Cook, E.Kennett, D.Gilkes 3-3 17-19 [57.6]
Ht 7:  L.Harrison, N.Ablitt, C.Rushen, L.Kerr 5-1 22-20 [57.7]
Ht 8:  W.Cairns, N.Ablitt, L.Harrison, K.Newman 3-3 25-23 [58.9]
Ht 9:  Z.Cook, E.Kennett, M.Palm-Toft, D.Gilkes 1-5 26-28 [58.32]
Ht 10:  J.Pickering, L.Kerr, R.Ingram, C.Rushen 4-2 30-30 [58.6]
Ht 11:  L.Harrison, R.Lawson, R.Ingram, W.Cairns 4-2 34-32 [60.17]
Ht 12:  E.Kennett, L.Kerr, R.Ingram, N.Ablitt 1-5 35-37 [58.8]
Ht 13:  L.Harrison, J.Pickering, R.Lawson, Z.Cook 5-1 40-38 [58.45]
Ht 14:  E.Kennett, N.Ablitt, C.Rushen, R.Ingram 2-4 42-42 [59.21]
Ht 15:  J.Pickering, R.Lawson, Z.Cook, L.Harrison 3-3 45-45 [58.39]

SGB Referee Mr Chris Durno 

It's Weebles that wobble and the Pirates certainly made Scunthorpe wobble without being able to bring them down, as, against the defending title holders, the current league leaders were determined to defend their unbeaten home league record. Josh Pickering made quick work of getting clear of the gating Pirates but it wasn't the Australian that was to trouble the new opening heat combination of Richard Lawson and William Cairns so much, but reserve and former Pirate Nathan Ablitt. He and Cairns were in pitch battle exchanging positions at almost every turn, neither willing to give an inch. But come the final flag it was Ablitt, taking the rider replacement ride left by the ill Connor Mountain, who held the point scoring position to allow Scunthorpe to open with a 4-2 advantage.  Guest Edward Kennett then had the opportunity to go head-to-head with Ablitt. Kennett came out on top whilst Kyle Newman fought determinedly to get by Ryan Ingram and even tried to overcome Ablitt himself, as the meeting squared up. Lewis Kerr gated well but Dan Gilkes, on a pace  that bettered Pickering's opening winning time, was able to get by, whilst Cooper Rushen had the comfortable beating of Michael Palm-Toft to keep things tight. Luke Harrison messed up his exit of turn one on the opening lap of heat four but Zach Cook was unable to seize the opportunity to take up the initiative, unlike Ingram, to the delight of the home fans. Harrison had done very well to recover, passed Newman and spent the last half of the race probing for a way by the Poole skipper. Cairns established what was to prove to be the fastest time of the night when he won heat five in 57.04 seconds, leaving Lawson happy to sit back and give neither Gilkes or Palm-Toft any hope of avoiding a Pirates' 5-1 (14-16.)

At the back in heat six, Kennett had the single focus of keeping Poole's slender meeting lead in tact as he passed Gilkes to back-up Cook's second place behind Pickering. Scunthorpe team manager David Howe made an inspired reserve change by taking out the impressive Ingram in favour of Ablitt, and the ex-Pirate was quick to tuck in behind Harrison and withstand everything that Rushen threw at him. It gave the Scorpions the first 5-1 of the meeting and edged them ahead by two. Cairns produced an awesome last to first move after the first half a lap, but Newman was just unable to cement the  third place long enough, after he had gated well. Cook and Kennett were in tune perfectly with each other as they countered that earlier 5-1 from Scunthorpe, Palm-Toft opening his account with an unchallenging third place. Rushen and Kerr were pairing up for maximum points themselves in heat ten, but then on the third lap Pickering made a desperate move, dive-bombing the pair of them as they entered turn four. The move created room for Ingram, unsettled Rushen who drifted to the back and promoted Pickering to the front, turning the result into a Scunthorpe 4-2 (30-30).

Harrison  secured a narrow win over Lawson and with Cairns trapped at the back behind Ingram, who was in the middle of three rides on the trot, gave Scunthorpe another breakthrough. But then, a super start by Kennett was converted into a 5-1 as Kerr did the heavy lifting by holding off Ingram. Heat thirteen saw an unbelievable development on turn 2 of the third lap as Lawson was scissored somehow  by both Harrison and Pickering after Cook had missed a chance to seal a second place behind his team-mate, the pendulum swinging back in the Scorpions' favour. The match might well have slipped from the Pirates' grasp as Ablitt got out front and Ingram was in third. Rushen was pushing all the way, although was losing a bit of traction everytime he attempted to sneak through the inside, but on the final lap Kennett found the drive that swept him into the lead and gave Poole a 4-2 that squared the scores, taking the match into a last heat decider. With Pickering unbeaten it was always going to be a tall order to snatch the heat advantage and once he had made the gate the Pirates just knew they both had to score to gain a richly deserved draw. The crucial move came on the second lap when Cook just edged by Harrison and inspite of plenty of effort from the home youngster, the Poole skipper kept him at bay and the 45-45 was overall a commendable effort from the rusty Pirates.

Photo Credit: Ian Rispin

For meeting reaction click here