Published at 19:58, Thursday, 16 October 2008

COMET John Branney is to ride through the pain barrier as the Derwent Park outfit faces its biggest ever challenge.

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Branney crashed and had to be taken to hospital with a suspected broken foot during Saturday’s first leg of the Knockout Cup final against Somerset.

Fortunately no bones were broken but the foot became badly swollen, putting Branney’s fitness to ride in doubt.

But the Workington-based rider has told team boss Ian Thomas that he will race – a major boost for the Comets who chase two cup titles.

Last night they were at Redcar for the first leg of their Young Shield semi-final – log on to www.timesandstar.co.uk for the match report.

From the North East they’ve travelled south for tonight’s Knockout Cup final second leg at Somerset’s Oak Tree Arena when they try to pull back the three-point deficit from the first leg (see page 50 for report).

And tomorrow night Comets are at Derwent Park hosting Redcar in the second leg of the Young Shield semi.

And as if that schedule wasn’t complicated enough, Thomas has had to cope with late changes to his line-up of riders.

He discovered late on Wednesday that his favoured guest – King’s Lynn’s Tomas Topinka – is unavailable for tomorrow because he’s now having to ride for King’s Lynn in their Premier play-off match at home to Edinburgh.

King’s Lynn and Edinburgh should have raced the first leg at the Norfolk Arena on Wednesday night but it was called off after heavy rain.

Topinka was straight on the phone to tell Thomas he would be unable to fulfil his booking against Redcar.

Jason Doyle, who was guesting for the Comets last night at Redcar, would have been an obvious choice after his top-class performance round Derwent Park last Saturday.

But he’s guesting for Berwick Bandits tomorrow standing in for the injured Adrian Rymel in their Young Shield semi-final second leg match against the Isle of Wight.

Thomas has turned to Jason Lyons, the man who top-scored for the Comets in their first leg defeat by Somerset in the Knockout Cup final. Ironically the only man to beat him was Doyle, in the first race of the night.

Lyons, who rides for Birmingham Brummies, will be riding for the Comets tonight at the Oak Tree Arena.

Thomas said: “Tomas has been absolutely sensational for us when he has guested, particularly at Derwent Park, and as soon as I saw the match was off on Wednesday night I knew they would try again on Saturday.

“With Jason Doyle riding in the first leg against Redcar it would have been ideal for him to race the return for us but I hadn’t realised he had already been booked by Berwick.

“Jason Lyons did splendidly for us in the home leg against Somerset and as he’s riding for us in the return he’ll just travel up with everybody else for Saturday’s match against Redcar.”

Of Branney’s decision to ride, Thomas said: “He’s a tough cookie all right and is just determined to make the matches.

“We had put Richard Lawson on stand-by just in case but John is the type of lad who just doesn’t like missing out on racing opportunities.”

Comets had faced the prospect of racing the Bears last night without three of their seven-man team, but only Daniel Nermark and Kauko Nieminen were absentees.

The Comets were having to use rider replacement again for injured skipper Nieminen in all three meetings.

Lawson, the young Moto X star who signed for the Comets two months ago with next season in mind, has been riding for Redcar Cubs in the Conference so knows the track well and has been scoring consistently high points for them.

Lawson, riding at reserve for Redcar Cubs, scored 10 points and two bonus points when the Cubs won at Boston on Tuesday but lost out by a single point on aggregate. Joe Haines top-scored for Boston with 14 points.

Tonight at Somerset the Comets will track: 1, Jason Doyle; 2, Charles Wright; 3, rider replacement for Kauko Nieminen; 4, Joe Haines; 5, Carl Stonehewer (C); 6, Tomi Reima; 7, John Branney.

For the match at Derwent Park tomorrow against Redcar Jason Lyons comes in at one for Doyle.

Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk