Scunthorpe Speedway

18.07.12: Incident-packed night at Monmore Green

DUDLEY HEATHENS 58 SCUNTHORPE SAINTS 33 (NATIONAL LEAGUE)

A HEAVY track led to incidents galore during the Jotun Paints Scunthorpe Saints’ visit to Dudley on Tuesday night.

Fortunately, no-one was hurt, as the two sides served up an entertaining match, despite a slightly lop-sided scoreline.

The Dudley Heathens are a quality team. You only have to glance at the fixtures page of their website to realise that. A 66-24 home win over King’s Lynn. An incredible 65-27 away win AT Buxton.

As those at Rye House for the Scorpions’ PL clash kept up with developments at Monmore Green via smart phones, the general consensus was that with three first-year rookies (Tommy Fenwick, Danny Phillips and Max Clegg) and another near rookie (Oliver Greenwood, pictured) in the team, the Saints would have put up a fine performance if they reached 30 against the unbeaten Heathens.

Saints’ team boss Stuart Parnaby was of a similar mindset - his target was 32.

The Heathens got off to a storming start with four 5-1s from the opening four races, but Byron Bekker fell while challenging tactical ride Steve Worrall in Heat 5 and it allowed Tommy Fenwick to join Worrall for a 5-1.

Home No 1 Adam Roynon smashed the National League track record at Monmore Green by 1.2 seconds in Heat 6.

Three further maximums (including a 5-0 in Heat 7) extended the Heathens’ lead to 22 points, and the match was already effectively over. Parnaby, meanwhile, was frustrated that all the decisions seemed to be going the way of the home team.

But the Saints’ riders buckled down and held their own in the final six races; the scores from Heat 10 onwards were 19-16 to Dudley.

Worrall finished the meeting on a flourish for the Saints by winning the final race, with Heathens’ Ashley Morris falling off in a battle for the lead with Worrall and therefore missing out on a paid maximum.

Having improved throughout the meeting, every Saints’ rider scored three points or more, as the powerhouse Dudley team failed to reach 60 points at home for the first time in three meetings.

Dudley Heathens 58: Adam Roynon 12 (4) (FULL MAXIMUM), Tom Perry R/R, Byron Bekker 13+1 (6), James White-Williams 6+1 (5), Ashley Morris 11+1 (5), Darryl Ritchings 10+2 (5), Dan Greenwood 6+3 (5).

Jotun Paints Scunthorpe Saints 33: Steve Worrall 14+1 (6) (incl. 6-point tactical ride), Tommy Fenwick 3+1 (5), Gary Irving R/R, Oliver Greenwood 6+1 (6), Tom Young 3 (5) (incl. 1-point tactical ride), Danny Phillips 3+1 (4), Max Clegg 4+1 (4).

1: Roynon, Ritchings, Worrall, Fenwick (fell) (5-1) (5-1).
2: (Re-run) Ritchings, D Greenwood, Clegg, Phillips (5-1) (10-2).
3: Bekker, White-Williams, Fenwick, O Greenwood (5-1) (15-3).
4: Morris, D Greenwood, Clegg, Young (fell) (5-1) (20-4).
5: WORRALL (TR), Fenwick, White-Williams, Bekker (fell) (1-8) (21-12).
6: (Re-run) Roynon, Young, Phillips, D Greenwood (fell, excluded) (3-3) (24-15).
7: (Re-run) Morris, Ritchings, O Greenwood (ret), Young (fell, excluded) (5-0) (29-15).
8: Bekker, D Greenwood, Clegg, Fenwick (fell) (5-1) (34-16).
9: White-Williams, Bekker, YOUNG (TR), Phillips (5-1) (39-17).
10: Roynon, O Greenwood, Worrall, White-Williams (3-3) (42-20).
11: (Re-run) Morris, Worrall, Fenwick (fell), Ritchings (fell, excluded) (3-2) (45-22).
12: Bekker, Phillips, O Greenwood, D Greenwood (fell) (3-3) (48-25).
13: Roynon, Morris, Worrall, Young (fell) (5-1) (53-26).
14: Ritchings, O Greenwood, Clegg, White-Williams (3-3) (56-29).
15: Worrall, Bekker, O Greenwood, Morris (fell) (2-4) (58-33).