Last updated 01:00, Monday, 08 October 2007

Workington Comets 58 Newcastle Diamonds 35

WORKINGTON finished the match strongly to establish a healthy 23-point first leg lead in an enthralling and highly entertaining encounter.

And, but for the loss of the in-form Charles Wright in a spectacular heat seven spill, their lead could have been even more.

With five paid six from his first two rides the younger of the Wright brothers was leading his third outing from team-mate Ulrich Ostergaard when he picked up some unexpected grip as he exited turn two for the final time causing his machine to lift.

Wright had the presence of mind to get off the back of the bike a split second before it slammed into the safety fence and then careered wildly across the track narrowly missing the following riders.

Wright himself hit the fence hard and, after receiving treatment on the track, he was taken to hospital as a precautionary measure for a thorough check over, but early indications are that he has escaped any serious injury.

The Comets had established a 16-point advantage after only six races and appeared in total control of the meeting by taking heat advantages in each race.

However, there had been overtaking manoeuvres for the minor places in every heat, with Carl Wilkinson's last bend effort to round John Branney and take second place in heat six being the highlight of the early exchanges.

Referee Peter Clarke awarded the result of heat seven, with Ostergaard being declared the winner of a shared heat and, with the Diamonds still trailing by 16 points, the visitors’ team manager George English nominated Wilkinson to take a tactical ride in heat eight.

Then, when he and Paul Clews out-gated the Branney brothers to lead, things looked bleak for the Comets. And, although Craig Branney chased the Diamonds pairing, last placed John Branney fell on turn three of the second lap but was slow to get up due to being trapped under his machine.

As a consequence the race was stopped and awarded as an 8-1 to the Diamonds - the visitors’ only race win of the meeting.

A finely executed first and second corner from Nieminen in heat 10 saw him force his way through from third place to first and go on to take the race win.

Then Ostergaard and Wright led all the way to win heats 11 and 12 respectively.

With the Branney brothers leading heat 14 from the start the Comets took another maximum heat advantage, although John Branney had to work incredibly hard mounted on Scott James' machine to keep Clews behind him throughout the four lap journey.

And, to complete a barnstorming finish to the evening for the home side, the Comets claimed a third successive 5-1 in the final heat.

Afterwards, Workington team manager Tony Jackson said: "If someone had offered me a 23-point lead before the match I would have accepted it, although once the match got underway we looked even better than that. However the heat seven crash for Charles Wright changed things dramatically.

"Up until his crash Charles looked absolutely fantastic, full of confidence and in his best form of the season with plenty more points looking likely.”

Workington 58: Nieminen 15, J. Wright 14, C. Branney 8, Ostergaard 11, C. Wright 5, J. Branney 5, S. James 0

Newcastle 35: Stancl 5, Franc 9, Stoddart 2, Wilkinson 12, Dore 0, Clews 7