Friday, 21 November 2008

Another great away win for Comets

WORKINGTON Comets bounced back from last Wednesday’s defeat at King’s Lynn to register their fourth win on the road.

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BEND: Charles Wright leads Glasgow's Adam McKinna

Sunday’s victory at Ashfield edged them closer to Premier League leaders Somerset with Workington already past the halfway stage on their list of away fixtures.

The Comets have ridden more matches than anyone else but their high percentage of away matches, and good strike rate from them, means they are a force to be reckoned with.

Although Daniel Nermark suffered his only defeat in the opening heat of the meeting, the 4-2 lead for the Tigers lasted only the time it took reserves John Branney and Charles Wright to hammer out an emphatic 5-1 in the second race.

From that point Workington never looked back, holding their advantage and then pulling away over the last five races of the meeting for an impressive win.

Three 4-2s, all initiated by Nermark victories, over the last five races and two shared heats meant Glasgow were unable to get in a blow when they needed to in the closing stages.

Nermark, with four straight wins after that first race defeat by Glasgow’s guest Adrian Rymel, was again the Workington spearhead but there was excellent support from his two fellow heat leaders Kauko Nieminen (12) and Carl Stonehewer (8), and an excellent effort from reserve Branney.

With Workington using rider replacement for Joe Haines it was a particularly busy match for Branney with seven outings producing nine points and a bonus.

He only failed to score in one of his races but that was a hot one against Rymel, Stonehewer and Trent Leverington.

Team manager Ian Thomas said: “That was a terrific effort by John. The boys were racing in 70 degrees so they were pretty hot in those leathers. Because Charles Wright’s bikes packed up John had to ride in six of the first eight races and that’s a lot of speedway in those conditions.

“I don’t often pick out individual riders but that was excellent stuff from John, especially when Charles was struggling. Charles eventually got going but ran two lasts and then borrowed Kauko’s bike to get a third in the penultimate race.

“It was another good performance and when you consider we’ve won away in the Premier Trophy and the Knockout Cup, scoring six away victories at this stage of the season is pretty good going.”

Glasgow 41: Rymel 13, Leverington 8, RR for Andersen, Dicken 7, Ksiezak 11, Davey 1, McKinna 1.

Comets 49: Nermark 14, Reima 3, Nieminen 12, RR for Haines, Stonehewer 8, Wright 3, John Branney 9.

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