GLADIATORS BEAT WOUNDED SCORPIONS

NEWLY crowned British Champion Adam Ellis crashed out in the very first race of Scunthorpe’s 47-37 defeat at Plymouth.

Ellis came down after a tussle with Jason Crump in Heat 1, which also caused his Scorpions team-mate Simon Lambert to crash, and it set the tone for an evening where the visitors would end as the ‘walking wounded.’

Six of the seven Scunthorpe riders picked up knocks but they still led by four points after Heat 9 before the Gladiators took control with Bjarne Pedersen scoring a paid maximum (11+1) and Crump (11) and reserve Alfie Bowtell (12+1) also scored well.

Thomas Jorgensen (11) and Theo Pijper (10+1) led the way for the visitors with the match curtailed after Heat 14 due to the curfew.

Lambert said: “Our luck was right out tonight. Obviously, from the moment that we lost the new British Champion in Heat 1, our backs were against the wall.

“I took the brunt of Adam’s fall as well. I felt like I’d been hit by two double decker buses – my head, my chest, my leg, the lot.

“Thomas bent his fingers, when they were caught in Bjarne Pedersen’s back wheel in Heat 13, while Josh (MacDonald) hurt his wrist when he was taken off in Heat 14 and Tero (Aarnio) also had a heavy fall.”

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