A MAKESHIFT Middlesbrough Bears team put up a tremendous performance against the Humber League champions Scunthorpe Scorpions at Hull's Craven Park.

They could not however prevent a third defeat against the Scorpions but defied the odds to more than make a match of it as they went down by 6pts (15-21).

The Bears were forced to replace their top two riders who were unavailable: John Branney (ill) and Gary Flint (work commitments). Repacements were originally Hull junior Mike Pickering and former Newcastle Gem Benji Compton but Pickering suffered an accident at work on the lunchtime of the match and the Bears were forced to shuffle their pack again with another Hull junior David Baker.

It was Compton, along with Kendal-based former motocross rider Jonathan Bethell, who took the match to the Scorpions. Compton raced to two impressive wins and was looking good for a maximum when his engine lost compression at a vital stage of the match, gifting the Scorpions maximum points in the penultimate heat. Bethell, who had top scored in two previous league matches at Hull, was once again involved in the some of the evening's finest racing as he fought wheel to wheel battles with Scorpions' Richie Dennis, Mick Mitchell & Ben Warbuton.

Scott Nettleship managed to beat David Speight in one race but David Baker was a huge disappointment, failing to register a single point. The first time this season he has done so!

The Bears team manager, Henry Atkinson, said: "Considering the circumstances we found ourselves in it was a fine performance with both Jonathan and Benji rising to the occasion. However, Scunthorpe's strength in depth was what won them the match. We could ill afford to carry any passengers but we congratulate them on doing the double as they won the East Riding Cup earlier in the season".

Bears Scorers: Bethell 7, Compton 6, Nettleship 2, Baker 0.

The team rode against the Preston Road Flyers in a Humber League fixture again on Wednesday at Hull's Craven Park with Branney and Flint back in the line-up.

The team are in action at Buxton this coming Sunday at 3pm, immediately following the Buxton/Newcastle Gems Conference League fixture.

The match at Edinburgh is going ahead on September 19. There had been some doubts over dates but the Bears will definitely be visiting Armadale in a six heat four man youth development match, immediately following the Edinburgh/Glasgow Premier League match.