Tapes Up: Diamonds Run Scorpions Close And Win One League Point

Thank you to our friends at Newcastle Diamonds, for providing the following post and picture. Scunthorpe Scorpions 48 Newcastle Diamonds 42(Premier League) Top Scorers Newcastle Diamonds - Stuart Robson 11 2, Claes Nedermark 10 Scunthorpe Scorpions -Nick Morris10, Michael Palm Toft, Josh Auty, Ashley Birks, all 9 1 The Diamonds went to Scunthorpe last night as comfortable league leaders, but had to line up with three key men out on the injured list, and ended up losing two league points, keeping hold of just one. Aaron Summers of Redcar came in for Ludvig Lindgren, still nursing a sore wrist following an after meeting incident last Sunday with rider replacement covering skipper Mark Lemon's races and former Scorpions' star, also now a Redcar Bear Carl Wilkinson deputising for Richie Worrall. Things remained tight throughout with the home side taking an early lead in Heat One with a 5-1 maximum taking full advantage of a Claes Nedermark fall on the third lap. The next two races were shared 3-3 before the home side, relishing the very wet conditions took a 4-2 thanks to a fine Josh Auty win while Newcastle's guest Wilkinson held Ashley Birks out in third place with the score now 15-9. Stuart Robson took Heat Five with ease with Nedermark mopping up the third placed point as Michael Palm Toft had already been excluded for a fall taking the score to a tighter 17-13. Heat Six was a fractious affair with Thomas Jorgensen well out in front but behind a fierce and physical battle was underway with Wilkinson and Nick Morris hammering away with Wilkinson ending up on the soggy shale and Morris excluded for his efforts in the shared 3-3 as the pair took up further cudgels in the pits afterwards. At the end of Heat Ten the score had moved on to 34-26 before Nedermark made amends for his earlier falls by taking a decisive win, and with Robson taking a comfortable second over Auty and Gary Irving the 1-5 was Newcastle's which moved the scores on to a tight 35-31. Another visitors' max in Heat 13 came again from a superb Nedermark/Robson combination again over Auty setting the score at a tantalising 40-38 with two races left on the card, but with the rain falling ever heavier Heat 14's home 5-1 for Toft and Birks over Christian Henry nailed the win for the Scorpions in a difficult match run in far from ideal conditions. Individual Riders' Score Charts Scunthorpe Scorpions: David Howe Rider-replacement, Thomas Jørgensen 8 2, Nick Morris 10, Michael Palm Toft 9 1, Josh Auty 9 1, Gary Irving 3, Ashley Birks 9 1 Newcastle Diamonds: Stuart Robson 11 2, Claes Nedermark 10, Aaron Summers (guest) 7, Christian Henry 5 1, Mark Lemon Rider replacement, Steve Worrall 2 2, Carl Wilkinson (guest) 7 **** The Newcastle Sapphire Engineering / Darrian Properties Diamonds have had to reshuffle their line up for the Premier League Fours after captain Mark Lemon received the results of a scan on his injured knee which revealed a ligament tear which looks as though it will extend the riders current absence. Lemon was expected to take his place in the line up at Peterborough on Sunday and indeed had purchased his flight back from the World Cup Final to make sure that he arrived at the East of England Showground in plenty of time but now faces an unexpectedly longer time on the sidelines. Newcastle team boss George English said: "This is a big blow to us across the whole spectrum of PL events I went to Management Committee to ask if they wanted us to withdraw from Sunday but with the event being right upon us it was decided that we take our seeded place in the line up." Christian Henry will replace Lemon while there was some good news for Newcastle as Ludvig Lindgren declared himself fit for the meeting.