Comets and Stars battle to a draw
Last updated 20:36, Wednesday, 16 April 2008
Workington Comets 45 King’s Lynn 45: Workington Comets expected a backlash on Saturday night from the chastened King’s Lynn – and they got it.
Their long 98-match unbeaten home run had been ended by Birmingham the night before and with successive away matches at Workington and Glasgow it could have been a disastrous start to their league programme.
But the Stars lived up to their name, holding Workington to a draw at Derwent Park and then winning 47-46 at Glasgow’s Ashfield. There would be some disappointment in the Workington camp that the first home point had been lost in the opening fixture – but traditionally the Comets do experience hiccups in that first match.
The Stars had led from heat six when a 4-2, initiated by reserve John Oliver, pushed them in front 19-17 and it wasn’t until Workington grabbed a 5-1 in the thirteenth heat that they sneaked ahead.
Oliver again won the penultimate race, but Charles Wright and Joe Haines followed him home for shared points. It left the home side needing something similar in the last to take the points.
Kevin Doolan, who had been the outstanding rider on the night, got away from Daniel Nermark out of the first bend and with Kauko Nieminen crowded out by Thomas Topinka, the Stars were on a 4-2 which they held to the finish.
Doolan scored 14 points from his five rides and was only beaten once by Nermark in heat ten. The Australian got his revenge in the last by beating the Workington number one to help square the match for the Stars.
The start of the meeting had been delayed by some 25 minutes after an electronics failure in the new starting gate.
It was impossible to repair on the night so the options were to start races with the green light or with the use of an elastic band – the riders chose the latter.
If the delay had irritated the home fans, worse was to follow when heat one eventually got underway.
Former Comets rider Shaun Tacey got away with Topinka and Nermark, who had been beaten by only one opponent before Saturday, had to settle for third place.
Workington quickly drew level when John Branney and Joe Haines raced to their own 5-1 in the reserve race – and that was a sign of the times for the Comets.
The bottom four, who have come in for some early-season criticism, scored 22 points between them – almost half the Workington total.
No doubt about the star among them, though – second string Charles Wright who enjoyed his best meeting so far with ten points from four rides, including two victories.
His first victory was against the first-heat maximum men Tacey and Topinka and he also beat former Workington favourite Rusty Harrison.
There was also, as it turned-out, a most valuable third place from Branney in heat 12 to provide Workington with shared points. Always at the back, he didn’t give-up and on the last turn came round Oliver to grab third spot.
Workington actually won just six of the 15 heats but their two race maximums, against one from the Stars, proved to be vital.
It was Nermark’s least effective meeting at Derwent Park with only one win in five outings but he still top-scored with ten points and a bonus while skipper Nieminen had two wins in his nine points.
Comets’ legend Carl Stonehewer had one of his quietest nights in Workington colours with a second and two third his only scoring rides in four outings.
Team manager Ian Thomas said: “It was disappointing to drop a point but in the end we did well to get the meeting on. If there had been any more rain after 5pm we would have been off.”
Workington: Daniel Nermark 10; Scott Smith 2; Carl Stonehewer 4; Charles Wright 10; Kauko Nieminen 9; Joe Haines 4; John Branney 6.
Kings Lynn: Thomas Topinka 6; Shaun Tacey 8; Kevin Doolan 14; Kozza Smith 2; Rusty Harrison 7; John Oliver 8; Simon Lambert 0.
