Scunthorpe Speedway

24.06.12: More injury woes for Scorpions

GLASGOW TIGERS 55 SCUNTHORPE SCORPIONS 38 (PREMIER LEAGUE)

HENDERSON INSURANCE Scunthorpe Scorpions suffered a further double injury blow over the weekend. Firstly, No. 1 David Howe crashed out of the World Longtrack Team Cup on Saturday night, with a bruised shoulder and ribs. And then Tero Aarnio pulled out of yesterday afternoon’s (Sunday) 38-55 defeat at Glasgow after re-injuring his hand originally injured at Berwick on 2nd June.

Ipswich’s Kevin Doolan came in to replace Howe at the eleventh hour at Ashfield Stadium, and he finished second to Joe Screen in a shared opening race.

The Glasgow Tigers took the lead with a 5-1 from Heat 2, but Scorpions’ guest Christian Henry commenced with a fine afternoon’s work by winning Heat 3.

Aarnio went down in a bunching incident on the first corner of Heat 5. Doolan and Aarnio popped out of the start in the re-run, with Aarnio lifted violently on the second bend, and then pulled out of the race in pain. The Finn took one further ride in Heat 8, but then withdrew from the meeting.

With Scorpions’ tracking rider replacement for Australian returnee Tom Armstrong, and neither reserve (Ashley Birks and Michael Palm Toft) firing, it left Scorpions with too weak a tail for the rest of proceedings.

With Glasgow having pulled 30-18 clear, Josh Auty (pictured) was nominated as a tactical ride in Heat 9, and the resultant 7-2 to the Scorpions reduced the deficit of seven points.

Henry inflicted a defeat on home No.1 Screen in Heat 10, but the Scorpions conceded a 5-1 in Heat 11 after a controversial exclusion for Doolan for delaying the start.

The ever-trying Birks joined Henry for a 5-1 in Heat 12 that took the scores to 41-34. But the Screen and Grieves partnership took two 5-1 for Glasgow in the closing stages as the Tigers ran out as winners by 17 points.

Post-match quotes:

Richard Hollingsworth (Scorpions’ Team Manager) –

“It’s been a difficult day, that started with a phone call from David Howe to Rob Godfrey (promoter) at 8am this morning, to let us know he wouldn’t be fit.

“Our grateful thanks go to Kevin Doolan, for accepting a last-minute guest booking; we really may have been stuck if he had said no. He was to travel with Chris Mills, although there was a bit of a drama on the way up, when the van broke down, and they ended coming up in Kevin’s van.

“Christian Henry was a fantastic guest, and he helped to keep the scores close until Glasgow pulled away at the end.

“This meeting illustrated how badly we need to find a replacement for Tom Armstrong. We knew we needed to give the reserves eleven rides today; that became thirteen by the end of the meeting. It’s too much, especially away from home.

“The bumpy track didn’t help Tero’s (Aarnio) injury. He’s ridden twice without major problems but the two incidents in heat 5 made things worse. It’s very frustrating but he is set to ride in Sweden on Thursday before we decide whether he rides the following night at Somerset.

“Both Tero and David are ruled out for the Sheffield v Scunthorpe and Scunthorpe v Ipswich matches over the next two days, but the good news is that Thomas Jørgensen is back following his rib injuries.”

Full scorers:

Glasgow Tigers 55 – Joe Screen 13+1 (5), Chris Mills 5+1 (4), Josh Grajczonek 4 (4), Filip Sitera 6+1 (4), James Grieves 13+2 (5) (PAID MAXIMUM), Jayden O’Malley 7+1 (4), Mason Campton 7+1 (4).

Henderson Insurance Scunthorpe Scorpions 38 – Kevin Doolan (guest) 5 (5), Tero Aarnio 2+1 (3), Christian Henry (guest) 13 (5), Tom Armstrong R/R, Josh Auty 12 (5) (incl. 6-point tactical ride), Ashley Birks 4+1 (7), Michael Palm Toft 2 (6), Tommy Fenwick (No 8) DNR.

1: Screen, Doolan, Aarnio, Mills, 58.4 (3-3) (3-3).
2: Campton, O'Malley, Birks, Toft, 59.6 (5-1) (8-4).
3: Henry, Grajczonek, Toft, Sitera, 59.1 (2-4) (10-8).
4: Grieves, Auty, Campton, Birks, 59.0 (4-2) (14-10).
5: (Re-run) Doolan, Grajczonek, Sitera, Aarnio (ret), 58.6 (3-3) (17-13).
6: Screen, Auty, Mills, Toft, 59.7 (4-2) (21-15).
7: Grieves, Henry, O'Malley, Birks (fell, remounted, ret), 59.4 (4-2) 25-17).
8: (Re-run) Mills, Campton, Aarnio, Birks (fell, excluded), 60.6 (5-1) (30-18).
9: AUTY (TR), Sitera, Toft, Grajczonek, 59.2 (2-7) (32-25).
10: Henry, Screen, Mills, Birks, 59.1 (3-3) (35-28).
11: O'Malley, Grieves, Birks, Toft, Doolan (excluded, delaying start), 60.0 (5-1) (40-29).
12: Henry, Birks, Campton, Grajczonek, 60.2 (1-5) (41-34).
13: Screen, Grieves, Auty, Doolan (ret), 59.8 (5-1) (46-35).
14: Sitera, Henry, O'Malley, Toft, 60.7 (4-2) (50-37).
15: Grieves, Screen, Auty, Doolan, 60.1 (5-1) (55-38).