Last updated 19:43, Thursday, 29 May 2008

WORKINGTON Comets wrapped up their place in the quarter-finals of the Premier League Knockout Cup with another clear-cut win over the Potters on Monday.

GO JONNY GO: John Branney leads the way from Barrie Evans at Stoke

It was their third victory against Stoke so far this season but both the previous two were at Loomer Road, the second of which was the club’s biggest-ever away success.

But for a painful early exit for Carl Stonehewer and a series of mechanical gremlins for reserves Joe Haines and John Branney, the Comets would have been heading for en even more emphatic victory.

Stonehewer, who had suffered rib and arm damage in a heavy fall at Loomer Road on Saturday, was forced to withdraw after just two of his four programmed rides - both wins.

He said: “The pain in my chest from the ribs is really bad and I was in agony after my second race.”

Stonehewer said he planned to pull out of two guest rides - last night and tonight - and concentrate on being fit to ride in tomorrow’s visit of Sheffield to Derwent Park.

The Workington veteran had been seen at his best on his second outing when he had a thrilling duel with Barrie Evans before using every inch of his track craft and experience to edge under the Stoke rider on the penultimate turn and score a merited win.

Already using rider replacement for the injured Barry Burchatt, the Comets reserves were stretched to the limit having to accommodate Stonehewer’s last two rides and the machinery suffered.

Haines was forced to retire in three successive outings and when he went out for his seventh and final ride, and won it, his bike conked out on the victory lap.

Branney snapped a chain in one of his outings - the sixth of the night and the first one in which he had failed to pick up any points.

Stoke had been hit hard by a serious road accident for number one Lee Complin in the early hours and Birmingham’s Adam Roynan was brought in as a late replacement at number one.

Roynon rode with spirit and gusto all night and was top scorer with eight points, among just four Stoke riders who won a heat.

It was hard going for the Potters, deflated after Saturday’s heavy home loss to the Comets and then even more by the serious injuries suffered by Complin in his road crash.

Any thoughts of an upset were firmly squashed by heat four when Workington held an 18-6 lead with three race maximums included in that powerful start.

Stoke even fell flat when they used a tactical ride for Ben Barker in heat seven and he was last with Evans giving Stonehewer a great battle.

By heat eight it was 33-15 to the Comets and Workington fans were contemplating arrangements for the trip to Isle of Wight in the quarter-finals.

Comets 54: Daniel Nermark 14, RR for Burchatt, Nieminen 12, Wright 7, Stonehewer 6, Haines 7, Branney 8.

Stoke 36: Roynon 8, Burrows 6, Barker 6, Evans 4, Sanchez 5, Jacobsen 4, Kristiansen 3.