Last updated 01:00, Monday, 08 October 2007

Newcastle Diamonds 46 Workington Comets 45

WORKINGTON had taken a big 23-point lead to Brough Park for the second leg helping them move comfortably into the semi-final.

Team manager Tony Jackson said: “We said that the way to tackle the second leg was to go out with the intention of winning it.

"I pointed out that Somerset had lost a 24-point advantage in their second leg and we didn’t want to do the same.

“The guys responded really well so that we were never more than eight points in arrears and were never seriously in trouble about going through.

“I’m not too disappointed that we didn’t win on the night but we would have done so had it not been for a series of mechanical problems at the start of the meeting.

“Kauko seized his engine at the start of the very first race and Ulrich lost a chain in his first outing.

“John Branney also lost a chain later in the meeting which handed a third place to Sam Dore. If that hadn’t happened we would have won the meeting,” he added.

Although skipper Nieminen generally struggled on the Brough Park track after his first race problems, Workington had plenty of back-up.

The rest of the big three - James Wright (15) and Ulrich Ostergaard (10) - scored well.

Craig Branney, who spent time at Brough Park riding for Newcastle Gems in his formative years, was always prominent and his night was capped by a fine last bend pass to win heat 14 when Wright had been used as a tactical substitute, taking two points in third.

Then Wright and Ostergaard finished off the meeting in style for the jubilant travelling Workington fans by racing to a 5-1 in the last.

Newcastle Diamonds 46: Ashworth 8, Franc 12, Stoddart 5, Wilkinson 12, Dore 1, Clews 8

Workington Comets 45: Nieminen 4, J Wright 15, C Branney 9, 0stergaard 10, James 1, J Branney 6