Despite a useful lead from Friday night’s first leg the Henderson Insurance Scunthorpe Scorpions went out of the Young Shield to the Workington Comets. 

They lost the second leg of their quarter-final tie 58-35 to go out 97-86 on aggregate.  Top scoring for the Scorpions was Swedish rider Magnus Karlsson with eleven points whilst Carl Wilkinson, with eight points, was the only rider to score in each of his races.

However, the Scorpions had no answer for Workington’s guest rider Tomas Topinka who produced a master class of riding to reel off six heat wins whilst covering for the injured Daniel Nermark.  He was given sold support by Carl Stonehewer and Joe Haines whilst the Comets’ reserves, Tomi Reima and John Branney also scored eight points a piece.

There was just a little hope for the Scorpions early on when Wilkinson and Byron Bekker relegated Stonehewer to the back in heat 4 and keep the scores at 15-9 but Stonehewer came out in the very next race and combined with Haines for a 5-1 over Richard Hall and Emiliano Sanchez to stretch the lead on the day to ten points and bring the aggregates within one point.  The Scorpions’ advantage disappeared in the next race before Team Manager opted to use his tactical ride option in heat 7.  The black and white helmet colour was given to Karlsson but despite a good start Stonehewer came around him on the second bend and the Scorpions could only manage a drawn heat. 

With most second places being filled by the Scorpions they kept the tie alive but with the aggregate deficit up to six points Team Manager Kenny Smith opted to use his tactical substitution in heat 12.  It meant Hall, who had looked better in his third ride, going from the fifteen metre mark.  It did pay off with Hall managing to claim third from the previously unbeaten Branney whilst Karlsson became the first Scorpion to take the chequered flag.  The 5-2 cut the gap in half but Topinka and Stonehewer raced from the gate in heat 13 to all but tie up aggregate victory.  Unfortunately on the last lap Richard Hall hit the fence after his engine seized and flew over his handlebars.  It was a serious looking fall but thankfully the Yorkshireman was able to walk back to the pits.

The scoreline meant the Comets needed just one second place in the final two races but former Scorpion Haines settled the tie by winning heat 14 before Topinka and Stonehewer produced great rides to pass Wilkinson and Karlsson in heat 15 after the Scorpions had led coming out of turn two.

The loss means the Scorpions have just one team meeting remaining this season when they travel north again next Sunday to face Newcastle in their last league match.  A win would take the Scorpions up to tenth place.  Next Friday, 10th October, the Scunthorpe Saints are in action against the Boston Barracudas at the Eddie Wright Raceway (7.30pm start) in the second leg of their Knockout Cup Semi-final.  The Barracudas lead 56-35 from the first leg and perhaps the Saints main objective is to preserve the club’s winning home record in the Conference League which dates back to May 2006.  With the Scorpions failure to advance in the Young Shield there will not now be a fixture at the Eddie Wright Raceway on Friday 17th October and the following fixtures at the track will be Monday 27th October (British Under-18 Final) and Friday 31st October (Season Finale meeting).  

Scorpions’ Team Manager Kenny Smith - “Poor Richard Hall didn’t look himself.  His first couple of races the track conditions caught him out.  It was far too slick for him.  He was making changes and then we took a chance with Magnus on the tactical ride and then we decided to put Richard off 15 metres as he’d seemed to get a little bit better.  Then of course he was airborne in that last one.  That could have been much nastier than it was.  We all wanted to win today and go through to the next round. We didn’t but at the end of the day, I’m looking at the situation and I’m so proud of the lads. We got through to the finals of the Fours, which was a great achievement, and we got through to the Young Shield which is another great achievement as it’s our first year back in this league.  I so would have liked to have won here though”. 

Workington Comets 58
Tomas Topinka 18 (6 rides), Charles Wright 2 (3), Joe Haines 11+1 (5), Carl Stonehewer 11+2 (6), Tomi Reima 8 (6), John Branney 8+1 (4)

Scunthorpe Scorpions 35
Richard Hall 4 (5 rides, including a 2 point scoring tactical substitution), Emiliano Sanchez 5 (4), Magnus Karlsson 11 (5 rides, including a 4 point tactical ride), Viktor Bergström 4+2 (4), Carl Wilkinson 8 (5), Ben Powell 1 (3), Byron Bekker 2+2 (4)