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Tuesday, August 26, 2008, 07:00
PLYMOUTH Devils face a crunch Conference League clash with Buxton Hitmen on Friday night after losing to Scunthorpe yesterday.
Mike Bowden's side still sit top of the league standings despite the 12-point defeat.
However, having completed more matches than some of their rivals, they need to beat Buxton at the St Boniface Arena to assure themselves of a top four play-off place.
Victory for Plymouth will guarantee them a shot at the title, while defeat would leave them depending on other teams slipping up.
However, despite yesterday's loss, Devils chairman Mike Bowden is confident his side can bounce back against Buxton.
"It was disappointing to lose yesterday, but I don't see any problems in us reaching the play-offs," said Bowden.
"We are back at home against Buxton on Friday and I can't see us being beaten on our own track.
"We are going to need to pick ourselves up for Buxton after yesterday's loss.
"But I am sure the boys will be up for the task."
Yesterday's meeting saw the Devils win six of the 15 heats, with Tom Brown claiming three of the victories, Seemond Stephens two and Mark Simmonds one.
The Plymouth trio scored 29 of their side's 39 points, with Kyle Hughes adding a further six.
However, Jaimie Pickard could only score two points, with Paul Starke and Jamie White-Williams registering just one point apiece.
The visitors made a good start to the match when they recorded a 4-2 win in an opening heat which was re-run following James Birkinshaw's fall.
Simmonds took the line honours with former Devil Ben Hopwood second for the Saints and Hughes in third.
However, Scunthorpe levelled matters in heat two by recording a 4-2 of their own.
Gary Irving and Adam Wrathall were first and third, respectively, with Pickard second and Starke fourth.
Brown won heat three for the Devils, but the race was tied 3-3 after home riders Scott Richardson and Jon Bethell finished second and third respectively.
The hosts went ahead for the first time in heat four, 13-11, courtesy of a second 4-2.
Byron Bekker held off Plymouth captain Stephens to claim first place with Wrathall third.
Both heats five and six were tied 3-3 to leave the match perfectly poised.
Richardson won heat five with Hughes second and Simmonds third.
Stephens was the victor in heat six, but Hopwood in second and Birkinshaw in third ensured the Saints remained ahead, 19-17.
The hosts extended their advantage to 23-19 in heat seven with their third 4-2.
Irving passed Brown on the final lap to take the honours with Bekker third.
Hopwood then won heat eight for Scunthorpe, but Hughes and Starke, second and third, ensured a 3-3 tie for the visitors.
Devils skipper Stephens claimed his second win of the match in heat nine.
However Richardson in second and Bethell in third maintained the Saints' four point lead, 29-25.
Heats 10, 11 and 12 were all tied 3-3.
Brown recorded his second heat win in heat 10 from Scunthorpe pair, Birkinshaw and Hopwood, second and third respectively.
In heat 11, Bekker was first for the hosts, but Simmonds in second and Hughes in third ensured the visitors remained in touch at 35-31.
Brown made it a hat-trick of race wins in heat 12, yet Bethell and Wrathall held off the challenge of Pickard to maintain Scunthorpe's lead.
The match was effectively over after heat 13 when the hosts claimed their first 5-1 maximum of the match.
Bekker and Birkinshaw were first and second, respectively, with Simmonds third and Stephens fourth.
The Saints now led 43-35 and the Devils had a mountain to climb.
Scunthorpe sealed their victory in the 14th and penultimate heat with their second 5-1 maximum.
The Devils went with only one rider after the clerk of the course failed to inform the referee in time that Starke was to be replaced by Brown, who would use a tactical ride.
As it was, Starke was excluded under the two-minute rule and Brown was ordered to return to the pits with only White-Williams competing for Plymouth.
Unfortunately for the Devils, Richardson and Irving finished first and second, respectively, with White-Williams third.
The 5-1 gave the Saints an unassailable 48-36 lead.
The 15th and final heat saw Plymouth nominate Stephens and Brown while the hosts selected Birkinshaw and Richardson.
Birkinshaw was first, but Brown in second and Stephens in third at least meant the visitors finished with a 3-3 tie.
But it was the Saints who recorded a 51-39 victory to leave the Devils with work to do against Buxton on Friday night.
Scunthorpe Saints: James Birkinshaw 8+2 points (5 rides), Ben Hopwood 8+1 (4), Jon Bethell 4+2 (4), Scott Richardson 10 (5), Byron Bekker 10 (4), Gary Irving 8+1 (4), Adam Wrathall 3+1 (4).
Plymouth Devils: Mark Simmonds 7+1 (4), Kyle Hughes 6+1 (4), Tom Brown 13 (5), Jamie White-Williams 1 (3), Seemond Stephens 9+1 (5), Jaimie Pickard 2 (4), Paul Starke 1+1 (4).
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