Key:+ = from 15m handicap,  * = Tactical ride for double points,  ! = Tactical substitution from 15m
SHEFFIELD SPEEDWAY MATCH REPORTS 2014
Scunthorpe 'Scorpions' v SHEFFIELD WINDOW CENTRE 'Tigers' League Cup 30th March

Referee: Phil Griffin

0102030405 0607080910 1112131415 Tot+Bp
1. Anders Melgren 7.33 3 2 3 1 1' 10+1
2. David Howe 6.34 1 0 3 1 5
3. Thomas Jorgensen 6.15 3 1' 0 1 5+1
4. Ashley Birks © 7.30 2' 2 1 3 2 10+1
5. Josh Auty 7.24 2 3 2 fx 7
6. Matt Williamson 3.00 0 0 0 - 0
7. James Sargeant (g) 5.03 3 0 2' 0 r 5+1
David Peet 4 3 5 2 3 2 3 5 1 4 2 1 1 3 3
Scunthorpe 'Scorpions' 4 7 12 14 17 19 22 27 28 32 34 35 36 39 42
Sheffield 'Tigers' 2 5 6 10 13 17 20 21 26 28 32 37 42 45 48
Joe Screen 2 3 1 4 3 4 3 1 5 2 4 5 5 3 3
1. Simon Stead © 9.33 2 3 3 3 3 14
2. Simon Nielsen 4.36 0 0 1 1 2
3. Leigh Lanham 7.16 1 2 2 2' 7+1
4. Taylor Poole 5.99 0 1' 0 1' 2+2
5. Adam Roynon 7.81 3 1 2' 2' 8+2
6. Andre Compton 4.36 1' 3 3 3 0 10+1
7. Josh Bates 3.00 2 1 0 2 5
Track record: 55.5
David Howe, 29 July 2011
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15

57.6

58.7

58.1

58.3

56.9

58.5

58.8

58.9

58.5

58.3

58.2

58.6

57.9

58.9

57.8

Scunthorpe Programme The Scorpions gate ahead in heat 1. Steady rounds David Howe on the second bend on lap 2 but can't pick his way past Anders Melgren. James Sargeant blasts around the field from gate 4 to lead down the back straight in heat 2. Josh Bates is right on his back wheel and Andre seems content to leave him to it and keeps a watch out for any challenges from Matt Williamson which were not forthcoming. The outside gates have been productive so far, but Taylor Poole limps away last in heat 3. Leigh leads the way but Thomas Jorgensen blasts around him on the second turn to lead down the back straight, and Ashley Birks does the same on the fourth bend to claim a big 5-1. Josh B traps ahead in heat 4 but Adam Roynon swoops from gate 4 into the lead on turn 2, closely followed by Josh A on turn 3. James was pushing but Josh B rode a good line to defend third place. Steady flew from the start and was untroubled but Simon Nielsen could do nothing about Thomas and Ashley and the shared heat left the scores at 17-13 to the Scorpions.

 Heat 6 saw Andre and Adam abreast down the back straight. Anders was keeping Adam close company when Adam reared out of turn 2 on the last lap allowing Anders into second place, but reclaimed the position on the last bend only for the blind referee to wrongly award 2nd place to the home rider. The announcer couldn't believe it, the crowd couldn't believe it, and Rob Godfrey said the cheque would be in the post! Leigh trapped well off gate 1 in heat 7 and took the rider outside him (who I guess he thought was Josh A) very wide on the apex of the 1st & 2nd turns. Taylor never recovered the lost ground but rounded Matt on the second lap. Josh A closed in on Leigh and dived under him out of the fourth turn on the second lap. David Howe and James flew into the lead in heat 8 and were never troubled. Adam led heat 9 until Andre blasted high and wide passing both Thomas and Ashley out of turn 2 and also Adam entering turn 3. Anders used the productive outside line to lead heat 10 but Leigh rounded David into the third turn to go second. Taylor was closing in on David but whether he would have got past is conjecture. The Scorpions are hanging on to their four point lead.

Steady wins heat 11 from Josh and with Simon taking third ahead of Matt the Scorpions lead is down to two points. Leigh and Andre pop out ahead in heat 12 and by keeping Thomas behind them they wrest the lead away. Simon and Adam are in the thick of the action at the start of heat 13 but Josh A tries a little too hard and tests the air fence on the second turn. I couldn't see if there had been any contact, but I guess not as the referee excluded Josh. Steady win the rerun but Anders and Adam have a good race for second place. Anders dives under Adam out of turn two on the third lap, but Adam fights back and regains the place off the last turn and the Tigers are six ahead with two races remaining. Josh B gates ahead in heat 14 but has Ashley hard on his exhaust while James (in for Matt) and Simon N are mixing it for third place. I lost count of the passes but Ashley rounded Josh B on the third lap and went on to win, while James suffered engine problems and Simon N made it a shared heat. Heat 15 and Steady emerges  in the lead down the back straight but both Anders and Ashley pass him out of the last turn. Steady blasts high and wide around the first turn, leads again by the back straight of the second lap, and this time keeps the lead to the chequered flag.

So the Sheffield Window Centre Tigers started with something that eluded them all last season, an away win!

Return to Sheffield Speedway fixtures and results
Return to Sheffield Speedway homepage