SKIPPER Lee Smart scored a faultless 15-point maximum as the Dudley Heathens swept past Scunthorpe and into the next round of the Knockout Cup.

Heathens trailed by two points from a close-fought first leg in Lincolnshire, but they dominated the return fixture taking the aggregate lead in Heat 4 and never looking back.

Smart, who has started the season in fine form, reeled off five race wins and there were also multiple successes for Jake Anderson and Jon Armstrong - whilst Richard Franklin dropped just one point, and Ashley Morris completed a solid top-five show.

An inexperienced Scunthorpe team were well served by Benji Compton, who won Heat 5 and scored four points from his tactical ride, and British Under-21 Final qualifier Steven Worrall won Heat 2 after Tom Perry had fallen, but the Heathens edged towards the 60-point mark and hit it when Franklin passed Compton on the line for second place in Heat 15.

Team boss Will Pottinger said: "I couldn't be happier with how the lads have performed. We had one or two early problems, but from Heat 6 we took an advantage in almost every race.

"Our top five were all really solid, our reserves scored to their average, and we can't ask for more than that. It was also great to see Jan O Pedersen here, and he was advising the lads straight away with things they can look at to get even better."

DUDLEY: Lee Smart 15, Richard Franklin 11+3, Jon Armstrong 10, Jake Anderson 9, Ashley Morris 8+2, Tom Perry 4+1, James Sarjeant 3.

SCUNTHORPE: Benji Compton 12, Steven Worrall 9, Gary Irving 4+1, Ashley Birks 4+1, Adam Wrathall 3, Leigh Boujous 0, Scott Richardson r/r.