Last updated 19:44, Thursday, 31 July 2008

COMETS lost a last-race decider at Redcar to drop important Premier League points.

They had to contend with the loss of number one Daniel Nermark, who went to hospital after a crash in heat 11.

The Comets lost their star rider with a potentially serious injury and he missed two rides which could have made the difference.

Nermark hit the safety fence at full speed and there was a 30 minute delay while he was attended to on the track before being taken to hospital.

Team manager Ian Thomas said: “It was a really awful-looking crash. Both Daniel and his bike hit the fence at full speed.

“He had won the opening race in a time which equalled the track record and then he came off in his second outing but was able to remount although finishing last.

“The crash came in his third ride so for us to run Redcar so close with our number one only scoring three points tells its own story.

“The lads were magnificent and if we had been able to track a fit Nermark for his last two rides we would have won the match.”

A superb 5-1 from Joe Haines and Charles Wright in the penultimate race of the night had put Workington level at 42-42. With skipper Kauko Nieminen having won his first four races on the bounce the Comets went into the last-race decider more than hopeful of gaining at the very least a draw.

But Nieminen didn’t get away and home favourite Gary Havelock came from last to second and was able to follow home team-mate James Groves for a 5-1 which clinched the match.

There was never more than four points between the two sides and that’s the way it finished. Workington won seven races - four of them by skipper Nieminen.

Redcar: Havelock 10, Auty 3, Grieves 13, Kerr 4, Proctor 9, Compton 2, Bugeja 6.

Comets: Nermark 3, RR Reima, Nieminen 12, Haines 8, Stonehewer 9, Wright 10, John Branney 1.

COMETS completed the inevitable double over Premier League also-rans Mildenhall to maintain their challenge at the top.

The meeting was washed out by a thunder storm with one heat to go after the Comets had established a 53-31 lead.

Workington had to include two guests - Tomas Topinka and Viktor Bergstrom - and use rider replacement for Carl Stonehewer.

The Comets veteran was feeling the effects of riding in the Premier League Fours the previous night, when he should have been resting a damaged ankle but he hopes to be fit for Saturday’s crunch Premier League match at home to Somerset.

Mildenhall haven’t won a match all season in the league and Workington didn’t want to be their first victims. Skipper Kauko Nieminen continued where he left off on Saturday and won four of his five races -the only blot being a third in heat 10 behind Joe Haines and Chris Schramm.

Haines had made a tentative start, with just a point from his first two rides, but he put in a big finish and won his last three races.

It was something of a reverse for Charles Wright, a key member of the Fours winning team, who scored two opening wins and finished with three third places.

John Branney had a steady five points from three rides but slid off in his fourth just as the rain started in heat 14.

Thomas said: “It was a proper old-fashioned thunderstorm and I had seen the black cloud looming up for half an hour.

“We would have fancied our chances of a 5-1 in the last but the rain was so bad it was the right decision to call it off then. The result will stand of course.”

Workington had the winning rider in 12 of the 15 heats and Mildenhall’s only heat advantage was gifted to them when Topinka suffered an engine failure.

Mildenhall: Schramm 6, Mroz 7, RR, Bugeja 5, Graversen 9, Bargh 2, Wright 2.

Comets: Topinka 8, Bergstrom 8, Nieminen 13, Haines 10, RR, Wright 9, Branney 5.