STOKE 54  SCUNTHORPE 41

 STOKE Easy Rider Potters gained a comfortable 54-41 victory over the Scunthorpe Scorpions in the Premier Trophy at Loomer Road on Saturday night. 

The Potters who were already without Glen Phillips suffered a further blow with the news that Phil Morris was also out of the night’s proceedings after suffering concussion in the narrow defeat at Somerset on Friday night. The Potters had to draft in Redcar’s Robbie Kessler for Phillips with rider replacement being used to cover the absence of Morris. 

The Potters opened up a 15-3 lead after just three heats before Scunthorpe registered a heat advantage in heat four as Scorpions skipper Magnus Karlsson took the flag ahead of Jesper Kristiansen with Byron Bekker taking third after Klaus Jakobsen suffered an engine failure while challenging Karlsson for the lead early in the heat. The result gave the Scorpions a 4-2 heat advantage but the Potters still held the lead with the score at 17-7.

Scunthorpe team boss Kenny Smith gave former Great Britain International David Howe a tactical ride in heat five and he promptly delivered the six points but with the Potters riders Kessler and Jason Bunyan taking the minor placings it was only a 6-3 heat win for the Scorpions making the score 20-13.

 Stoke again stamped their authority on proceedings with a 5-1 heat advantage from Jakobsen and Tom P Madsen over Simon Lambert to extend the Potters lead to eleven points. This was followed by a 4-2 in heat nine as Robbie Kessler took the chequered flag ahead of Karlsson with Bunyan taking third place giving Stoke a 35-22 lead.

 Carl Wilkinson took Scunthorpe’s second tactical ride but home skipper Lee Complin got the better of him as the Potters rider limited the damage to a 3-5 in favour of the Scorpions.

 Jakobsen and Kessler teamed up for a 4-2 heat advantage in heat twelve Wilkinson managing to split the Stoke pairing but the Potters were close to securing the win on the night as Stoke lead 45-32.

Scunthorpe immediately strike back with a 4-2 of their own as Karlsson managed to hold off the challenge of Madsen with Howe getting the better of Complin.

The Potters secured all three points on offer in heat fourteen as Jason Bunyan and Jesper Kristiansen gained a comfortable 5-1 heat win over Bergstrom. 

Scunthorpe finished on a high as David Howe took victory in heat fifteen and for three laps in looked like the Scorpions were going to finish with a 5-1 with his partner Karlsson in second as they team rode, but Jason Bunyan reeled them in and managed a superb outside swoop to take second place on the line relegating Karlsson to third place. Scunthorpe took a 4-2 heat advantage but it was little consolation as the Easy Rider Potters took a 54-41 victory to take all three points.

 Jason Bunyan said “It was a solid performance with everyone chipping. “Things are coming together now and we have to keep things going.”

 Promoter Dave Tattum said “It’s not been a bad week for us taking ten points and giving us an outside chance of the semi finals and all we can keep doing is plugging away and working hard. “Again it was pleasing to see all of the team getting at least a paid win. “It was disappointing to lose Phil (Morris) after last night but Robbie Kessler has come in at short notice and done a real good job for us.”

 Scorers: Stoke 54: Klaus Jakobsen 13+1, Jason Bunyan 10+1, Jesper Kristiansen 8+2, Tom  P Madsen 8+2, Robbie Kessler 8+1, Lee Complin 7+1, Phil Morris (Rider Replacement)

 Scunthorpe 41: David Howe 13, Magnus Karlsson 12, Carl Wilkinson 7, Viktor Bergstrom 5+1, Simon Lambert 2+1, Byron Bekker 2, Jerran Hart 0