Speedway By John Walsh

Last updated at 12:59, Thursday, 02 October 2008

Scunthorpe Scorpions bosses will be looking for an eight-to-ten point lead at least against Workington Comets tomorrow night.

The two sides clash in the first round of the Young Shield with the Scorpions staging the first leg at the Eddie Wright Raceway.

Workington – on the back foot now after the collar-bone break for influential skipper Kauko Nieminen – host the return at Derwent Park 24 hours later.

Co-promoter Kenny Smith said: “Eight to ten points at our place would be good I reckon. We’ve done well at Workington already this season so that would give us a chance.

“If we don’t beat the Comets that will be our last competitive meeting of the season so we’ll be in there trying because we want to keep it going.”

Scunthorpe had gone through September without a Premier League win since August 29 when they beat Reading Racers last week.

Co-promoter Rob Godfrey feels that if the Scorpions can recapture that kind of riding form they will be fine against the Comets.

“I genuinely feel that we can do all right at Workington on Saturday but clearly we have to win at home first and I agree, if we can get a ten point advantage it gives us something to defend up in Cumbria,” he said.

Scunthorpe do not have a rider in the top 25 of the averages but in Richard Hall and Carl Wilkinson they do have two heat leaders who know their way round Derwent Park and go well round the Workington raceway.

Hall (12), third heat leader Magnus Karlsson (11) and Wilkinson (8) all scored well against Reading last Friday to suggest they are going to be a threat against the Comets.

The two League matches between the Comets and the Scorpions were in May and if that had been the Shield tie Workington would have won with 11 points in hand.

They lost 47-43 at Scunthorpe and won 54-39 in the return leg at Derwent Park.

First published at 11:51, Thursday, 02 October 2008
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk