PETERBOROUGH’S two latest signings starred as they completed the Premier League regular season with a bang by thumping Scunthorpe 54-36 at the East of England Showground.
Ben Barker spearheaded a fine performance with a paid maximum and fellow recent recruit Anders Thomsen piled up paid 14 as the Readypower Panthers stormed to victory.
Barker followed home partner Emil Grondal for a 5-1 in heat four that put Panthers ahead for the first time and then reeled off four successive victories to go through the card for the second time in three home meetings.
And fellow newboy Thomsen again showed his class with a fine 13+1 haul in which he was only beaten by an opposing rider once – Scorpions guest David Bellego in heat five.
The two top-scorers teamed up to provide a scintillating finish when gaining a 5-1 in the finale as both swept past forceful Scunthorpe reserve Alex Davies.
Joint team boss Carl Johnson said: “A result and performance like this is just what we wanted to end the regular season and kick ourselves on into the play-offs.
“We’ve started slowly in a few home meetings and had to turn them around. That happened again today, but we got on top quickly and went on to record a convincing win.
“Anders has showed his class since coming and it is very clear to see he is on a false average. He loves the track at the Showground and he is the scoring the sort of points we felt he would be capable of getting.
“All of the same applies to Ben who has been a huge asset on and off the track since he arrived last month.”
Peterborough provided 11 race winners in all with guest number one Rohan Tungate and impressive reserve Grondal taking the chequered flag twice apiece.
There was also a paid success for Simon Lambert as he and Michael Palm Toft scored solidly in the main body of the team. Only Rafal Konopka had an off-day.
Peterborough are confirmed as finishing fourth in the Premier League standings with a play-off quarter-final test against Sheffield to come.
Johnson believes that is the ideal scenario in terms of opposition although, as detailed in their pre-weekend statement, club chiefs continue to object to travelling to Owlerton for the first leg on Thursday (September 17) as they are without three riders due to overseas commitments.
Johnson added: “We would obviously have liked to finish inside the top two and gone straight through to the semi-finals of the play-offs, but we came up just short in our attempts to do that.
“Finishing fourth is the next-best scenario as far as we are concerned and we are not at all disappointed about facing Sheffield in the quarter-finals. I would even go as far as saying they are the team we would prefer to be up against at this stage.
“We have three riders away and we don’t feel we should be forced to ride in a play-off meeting without our best team.
“We have made our position known concerning the staging of the first leg. I’m sure there will be further developments on that early this week.”
SCORES
READYPOWER PANTHERS: Ben Barker 14+1 (paid max), Anders Thomsen 13+1, Rohan Tungate (guest) 9, Emil Grondal 8+1, Simon Lambert 5+2, Michael Palm Toft 5+1, Rafal Konopka 0.
SCUNTHORPE: Alex Davies 12+1, David Bellego (guest) 10, Nike Lunna 8+2, Andre Compton (guest) 5+1, Carl Wilkinson 1, Leigh Lanham 0, Rider replacement for Zdenek Holub.