A decent start for the Tigers saw a shared opening heat with Joe Screen taking the chequered flag in a quick time from the gate.
Theo gated well in heat 2 but was second to Steve Worrall out of the opening bends. He tried to press but the Scunthorpe reserve opened up a little gap and Theo was left to hold off the attentions of their other reserve, Michal Palm Toft. Toft tracked Theo until the penultimate before slipping through to give the home side a heat maximum.
Nick Morris looked to have gated well in heat 3 but it was called back and the re start saw Jorgensen win from the gate with Richard Sweetman in second, Nick settled into third place behind him in what was a mundane heat.
Again it was a case of first out of the trap won in heat 4 and this time it was James Grieves who took the flag. He did not have it all his own way however as both Scorpions riders were camped on his tail and tried hard to find that elusive passing line but a combination of conditions and good rising from James ensured the win.
Heat 5 saw Richard Hall gate, Joe Screen got the better of Thomas Jorgensen out of bend two and it was to remain that way to the flag.
Some much needed track grading went on after heat 5 and the home side sprung to life whilst Glasgow struggled to adjust. Howe and Wilson easily beat Grieves and Bellego from the tapes in heat 6 which put Glasgow 10 points down and Stewart immediately put Nick Morris out as a TR in heat 7.
Nick gated well and it looked as if the TR may well pay off, Nick leading and Richard in third spot. The heat quickly became two races in one and highlighted how much the track grading had improved the surface. Out front Nick was being pressed inside and out by Carl Wilkinson in what was a good battle whilst at the rear, Richard was having to work hard to hold off Toft. Coming into lap 3 bend 3, Sweetman appeared to have bike troubles leaving Toft to come through into third place but Nick was still holding out up front although WIlkinson was all over him like a rash. Just when it looked as if Nick would hold, Wilkinson made the move on the second last bend of the race to find the grip and power outside Nick to claim the win.
Again Glasgow were to struggle in heat 8, Scunthorpe gating on a 5-1 and quickly looking comfortable. The opening bends of lap two saw Michal Rajkowski take a tumble and much to the home crowd's displeasure he stayed down, causing the race to be stopped and re run although obviously without Michal. The re run saw a level gate between the three riders and although the Scorpions initially came out of the opening bends on a 5-1, Theo had enough momentum to power past Steve Worrall down the back straight to slot into second place and that was how it was to finish.
Heat 9 was another for the Tigers to forget, Jorgensen and Hall recording another 5-1 over Bellego in third with James Grieves retiring at the rear. Things were only to get worse for the Tigers in heat 10. Nick again made a good start but a powerful move from David Howe saw him take over at the front going down the backstraight. Just when it looked as if there may be a good battle in prospect between the two, Nick suffered bike problems, grinding to a halt on the back straight of the second lap. With Sweetman stuck at the rear, it was another heat maximum for the home side.
As a result, Joe Screen came out in the inevitable black and white helmet in heat 11. Nerves seemed to be getting the better of Michal who first of all jumped the start and was fortunate not to touch the tapes but then in the re run one of his wide opening bend blasts saw him clatter very heavily into the fence. The final running of the heat therefore saw Joe facing the Scunthorpe pairing on his own. When the tapes went up the Scunthorpe pairing gated but Joe muscled his way back through to the front to claim the maximum 6 points from the tactical ride.
Glasgow were still well down however and it was going to take a great effort in the final few heats to pull things back. There was a brief moment of hope that they might managed to claw a point back out of the meeting when Nick Morris made an electric gate to win heat 12 with David Bellego, visibly improving every ride on his first visit to the track, securing third place ahead of Steve Worrall thanks to a good opening bend.
Realistically however even the slight hope faded in heat 13 despite a race win for the Tigers. Carl Wilkinson gated but Joe was all over him for the opening lap before nipping sweetly past him out of bend 2 on the second lap, Joe comfortably claiming the win. However, James Grieves was a little off the pace at the back with suspicions of bike problems and that last place realistically finished off any slim hopes the Tigers had of a point.
Theo Pijper was quick out of the gate in heat 14 but again had to contend with both Scorpions riders buzzing all over the back of him. The end of the third lap saw them mount a double challenge on Theo, Hall being blocked on the outside but as a result Toft was left the room to slip up the inside to take the lead. it was a good move from the Scunthorpe pairing and one that Theo, on his own, could have done nothing else to stop.
Heat 15 was merely a formality, Howe winning, but there was some good speedway between Joe Screen and Ben Wilson as they did battle for second spot, Glasgow's captain coming out on top.
It was not the best of nights for the Tigers and nerves may be setting in a bit - certainly amongst the fans! Far too many last places cost the Tigers dear - Scunthorpe only had two last places all night, Glasgow thirteen.
It is a marathon not a sprint however and the Tigers are still in a good position and should be able to put this behind them and go on to secure the league in the next couple of weeks.
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