John Walsh reports

Last updated 11:02, Saturday, 12 July 2008

Somerset Rebels 57 Workington Comets 36: Workington Comets were unable to repeat their Best Pairs success at the Oak Tree Arena when the whole team took on Somerset in a Premier League clash last night.

The Rebels, still smarting from the fact they missed out on the Pairs title on their own track, were too strong in depth for the Comets this time.

For while the Pairs winners Daniel Nermark and Kauko Nieminen scored two thirds of Workington’s points between them, there wasn’t a lot of support.

Nobody in the Somerset side scored less than seven with number one Jason Doyle completing a five-ride 15-point maximum.

Workington just didn’t have that sort of scope in the side as third heat leader Carl Stonehewer was strangely off-colour – an engine failure in his first outing virtually setting the tone for his night which only produced a single point.

Joe Haines was the only other Workington rider – apart from the top two – to score a race win and that came in the penultimate race of the night.

Team manager Ian Thomas was philosophical about it afterwards as he started the long drive back straight to Workington for tonight’s clash with the Isle of Wight (7pm).

He said: “It’s always disappointing to lose, especially by 21 points but I was studying their results and we are the third top scorers at the Oak Tree Arena this season.

“I think that shows how well they have been going round their home track.

“It’s never good to make excuses but we had a few bike problems notably Stoney and Joe and they came at crucial times.

“What we must do now is make sure we have no more slip-ups in home meetings and target three or four matches away from home when we should be in with a chance of adding to our successes on our travels.”

It would have been a heavier defeat for the Comets but Nermark was successful when pushed in as a tactical ride for heat eleven.

In actual fact he had to stretch every sinew to get the verdict over Somerset reserve Matthias Kroger as the pair were neck and neck throughout in what was probably the best race of the night.

Nermark had only managed second place behind a fast-starting Doyle in the opening race of the night and that 4-2 really set the tone for the evening.

Former Comet Brent Werner, now operating at reserve for the Rebels won the second heat from his team-mate Kroger and the Comets knew from that point it was going to be an uphill struggle.

It could have been worse for the Comets as the Rebels pair broke best in heat third but gradually the visitors got back into the contest as first Haines, and then Nieminen passed Stephen Katt for a share of the spoils behind Emil Kramer.

Stoney was slow out of the gate in heat four and was always struggling,

eventually retiring with mechanical problems on the very last bend.

John Branney was left to chase home Jordan Frampton and Werner.

Workington’s first heat advantage of the night came in heat five when Nermark and Charles Wright established a 4-2.

But it was quickly business as usual for the Rebels as Doyle and Katt beat Wright and Stonehewer. Although Stoney was ahead going into the first turn he was last coming out of the second and that was to be the story of his night.

Nieminen got away well in heat seven but unfortunately he lifted off the fourth bend of the first lap and Frampton got through on the inside for the win and a 4-2 which gave the home side a 28-14 advantage.

Workington were in more trouble in heat eight when Katt and Werner got well away from John Branney and Haines to win as they liked.

Another 5-1 for Somerset in heat nine meant it was damage limitation now for the Cumbrians.

Haines’ bike caught fire on the line and was given extra time by the referee to sort things out ahead of heat ten but he couldn’t get into the points as Nieminen split the Somerset pair.

Nermark was handed the black and white helmet colour for heat eleven and after an exciting wheel-to-wheel battle with Kroger earned his team six points.

Workington got another boost in heat twelve when Nieminen battled really strongly to hold-off Kramer and Wright got in for third and another Comets points advantage.

Somerset got the better of the Workington pair ion heat thirteen but it was a race which produced lots of passing before the final order which saw Nieminen split Doyle and Frampton.

There was a rare shared points heat in the penultimate race as eventually Haines got the verdict after a good battle involving all four riders. Kroger and Werner followed him home with Branney out the back.

Doyle went on to complete his full maximum by winning the last from Nermark and Nieminen so that Workington shared the race points.

MATCH FACTS

Somerset Rebels 57: Jason Doyle 15, Stephen Katt 7, Emil Kramer 8, rider replacement for Simon Walker, Jordan Frampton 10, Matthias Kroger 9, Brent Werner 8.

Workington Comets 36: Daniel Nermark 15, rider replacement for Tomi Reima, Kauko Nieminen 9, Joe Haines 5, Carl Stonehewer 1, Charles Wright 4; John Branney 2.