IT'S mission impossible for the Cleveland Bays on Sunday afternoon when they travel to North Lincolnshire for a Conference League match (3pm)against reigning champions Scunthorpe with a 23pt deficit to overcome.

The Scorpions are cock-a-hoop having comprehensively beaten closest rivals Plymouth home &away to clinch the Conference Trophy last weekend.In recent weeks no opposition team has scored more than 30pts on the pacy Normanby Road track.

Scunthorpe will be using Josh Auty, who is currently third in the Redcar Bears Premier League team averages, and occasional Redcar reserve Benji Compton,who is now with King 's Lynn.Former Bays rider Joe Haines will be Auty 's partner whilst Andrew Tully has a five point Premier League average with Edinburgh.To add further spice Byron Bekker lived with Bays team manager Jason Pipe in Middlesbrough for two years,whilst Scott Richardson was involved in the high speed crash that ended Greg Blair 's season just five weeks ago.

The Bays are minus three key riders: Sean Stoddart (parent club commitments),Greg Blair and David Wallinger (long term injuries).Team manager Jason Pipe has been forced to reshuffle his pack and welcomes back Jack Hargreaves into the team.

Hargreaves has just rejoined the Redcar club from Stoke and has so far failed to produce any form in recent Premier League appearances.Club captain Mark Burrows began his career with Scunthorpe in 1984 and against Sittingbourne looked more like his old self.Martin Emerson drops down to reserve whilst Rusty Hodgson moves into the team proper at No.2.

Finally Hull-based teenager Kye Norton gets an opportunity in the other reserve position.

BAYS rider David Wallinger was a surprise spectator at the Redcar/Newcastle Premier League match last Thursday evening.

Wallinger had only been released from hospital on the Thursday afternoon at 3pm having had his wrist broken in seven places against Sittingbourne.Wallinger was among a crowd of some 1,500,the vast majority going home with smiles on their faces having seen Redcar Bears clinch the double over their arch rivals from Tyneside.

THERE was a nice touch at the recent Cleveland Bays match at home to Sittingbourne.Highly-rated Greg Blair led the teams out for the pre-meeting parade.Reports are that Greg 's operation on his elbow has been successful and the bones are knitting back together.It 's too early to say when he will be back on a bike again though.