Berwick Bandits 57-33 Scunthorpe Scorpions: Bandits end campaign eighth after home victory

Bandits, who have finished eighth in the table with 21 points from their 18 fixtures, racked up 13 heat wins with five going to Richard Lawson whose flawless maximum was the perfect stand-in performance for European Pairs finalist Chris Harris.

Captain for the night Jye Etheridge was also back to the sort of speedy, aggressive form he was showing before the May shoulder injury derailed his, and arguably the Bandits’, season.

He won four races and his only dropped points came when Simon Lambert – Scunthorpe’s outstanding rider – roared past him with a daring back straight pass in heat four.

Reserve Jonas Knudsen, back on Berwick shale after a month waiting for his work visa to be rubberstamped by Britain’s immigration authorities, was a busy man with seven rides and he was paid for three wins as well as picking himself up from a heavy heat eight tumble.

Ricky Wells also rolled back the clock to April and rattled up a couple of race wins into the bargain as the curtain came down on the Bandits’ league campaign.

Bullet Greg Blair had the crowd on its feet as he followed Knudsen home for a heat two 5-1, Wells’ swoop inside Lambert in 11 and a couple of epic battles between Knudsen and James Wright which the Dane got the better of the highlight of an encounter which was hugely entertaining despite the scoreline.

Berwick team manager and promoter Gary Flint said: “We hit our straps early and never really looked back.

“It was a dominant performance and, after demolishing Plymouth last time out, at least gives our fans a winning end to what has been a frustrating season.

“We couldn’t have had a better guest than Richard Lawson and it was also good to see Jye and Ricky back in the thick of the action.

“While it is all over for the Bandits there is still plenty of speedway to come at Berwick with the Bullets rounding off their National League fixtures next week (they visit Mildenhall Fen Tigers this Sunday) and then waiting for Leicester to complete theirs so that the play-offs can be arranged.”