GLADIATORS WIN THE OPENER

PLYMOUTH picked up the first two points of the Cab Direct Championship season with a 49-41 win over Scunthorpe at the Coliseum.

The key results for the Gladiators were back-to-back 5-1s in Heats 9 and 10 to put them ten points ahead, but the Scorpions hit back strongly to force a last heat decider.

With the scores at 44-40, home skipper Kyle Howarth and Scorpions No.1 Ryan Douglas crashed on the second bend, and in the re-run Howarth and Ben Barker raced to a 5-1 for Plymouth with Douglas having been forced onto borrowed machinery.

Howarth (12+2) and Barker (12+1) led the scoring for the hosts with Dan Gilkes picking up a vital 9+2, whilst Douglas and Jake Allen both scored 11 for the Scorpions.

Scunthorpe promoter Rob Godfrey said: “There was an element of bad luck for us tonight, but Plymouth were deserving winners.

“They pulled away with two mid-meeting 5-1s, but even then we weren’t beaten and we took it to the final race. For a moment, it looked like we might get the 5-1 we needed.

“We’re still very much in contention to take an aggregate bonus point off Plymouth. I’m convinced those are the key to success in the Cab Direct Championship this year.

“Last year, an eight-point away loss would have been devastating, this year there’s still a chance to take the bonus point and outscore the opposition by a point over the two matches.”

Post Match Interview with Kyle Howarth:

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Photo credit: DAN WESTLAKE