Scorpions beat battling Bears

Redcar fell to their second defeat of the season at home as the Scorpions took a 48-42 away success at the ECCO Arena. Jason Edwards hit a superb paid 12 for the Bears whilst Michael Palm-Toft hit a sublime paid maximum (14+1) for Scunthorpe. 

Redcar started the meeting in superb style with a 5-1 heat advantage as Danny King won comfortably whilst Jonas Knudsen held off educated pressure from Kyle Howarth. Scunthorpe struck their first heat win in heat 2 as their guest, Jack Smith took an impressive win, but with both Ben Trigger and Jake Mulford in points scoring positions, the hosts 4 point lead remained intact. 

Heat 3 saw the Scorpions hit their first heat advantage as Palm-Toft passed Edwards on the backstraight of lap 1 to take a deserved win, and with Simon Lambert in 3rd, Redcar’s lead was cut in half. Heat 4 saw the Bears gate on a 5-1, only for Ben Trigger to be passed by Jake Allen, but Allen could not catch Wright which gave the Bears a 4-2 and the relative security of a 4 point lead after 4 heats on Teesside. 

After Edwards impressively won a shared heat 5, Redcar struck another impressive 5-1 as King and Knudsen once again teamed up for a maximum heat advantage with the Dane superbly passing Allen on lap 3 for the paid win. 

However, disaster struck for the “Agilia” Bears in heat 7 as Wright attempted to pass both Scorpions on bends 3 and 4 of lap number 2 but the skipper came to grief and suffered a shoulder injury, thus ruling him out of the remainder of the meeting. In further bad news for the Bears, the Scorpions were awarded a 5-1 which brought them back within 4 of Redcar. 

Heat 8 saw Knudsen ride superbly to pass Jack Smith on lap 2 and Connor Mountain on the run to the line to take a sublime heat win, but with Ben Trigger at the back, the Bears could not extend their lead at the ECCO Arena. Nevertheless, that lead was extended in heat 9 as Connor Bailey and Jason Edwards combined for a fabulous 5-1 heat advantage to give the Bears an 8 point lead. 

The lead was immediately back to 4 points after heat 10 though as Lambert and Palm-Toft emerged from bend 2 at the front, and despite educated Jonas Knudsen pressure, the Scorpions took their chance to bring them back into the match. 

After Edwards and Bailey both took the chequered flag in shared heats, Scunthorpe hit a vital 4-2 in heat 13. With the Bears missing Wright, Kyle Howarth took the win, and with Allen holding off Knudsen for 3rd, suddenly the Scorpions were within 2. Scunthorpe then edged ahead for the first time in heat 14 as Palm-Toft continued his serene evening with a win, and with Luke Harrison finishing in a fantastic second, the visitors had the advantage heading into heat 15. 

The final race of an entertaining evening saw the Scorpions hit a 5-1 to win the match as Howarth and Palm-Toft gated to secure a big away win for Scunthorpe with the Bears still searching for their first win of the season. 

Redcar Bears = 42 

1. Danny King = 9

2. Jonas Knudsen = 8+2 

3. Connor Bailey = 6

4. Jason Edwards = 11+1 

5. Charles Wright = 3 WITHDRAWN 

6. Jake Mulford = 2+1 

7. Ben Trigger = 3 

Scunthorpe Scorpions = 48 

1. Kyle Howarth = 8+3

2. Connor Mountain = 6

3. Simon Lambert = 7+2  

4. Michael Palm Toft = 14+1

5. Jake Allen  = 5 

6. Jack Smith (G) = 4+1 

7. Luke Harrison = 4+1