speedway By John Walsh

Last updated 12:02, Friday, 18 April 2008

WORKINGTON Comets will make their first team switch of the season tomorrow night for the final Premier Trophy meeting at home to Glasgow Tigers.

After six matches – three at home and three away – averages dictate the positioning and Workington will have to change two of their heat leaders.

Kauko Nieminen has a higher average now than Carl Stonehewer so the Finn switches to number three and Stoney will operate at number five.

It means that Nieminen will partner Charles Wright in heats three, five and nine while Stonehewer will be out with the reserves in three races and then partner number one Daniel Nermark in the big heat thirteen.

Team manager Ian Thomas said: “After six matches we can look at team positioning and then when we have raced 12 matches, there’s an opportunity for team changes if those are felt necessary.

“It will be interesting to see how the positional changes affect us tonight and then again on Monday and Tuesday in two tough away fixtures.”

For Workington to qualify for the semi-final stages of the Premier Trophy there has to be a massive turn-around in points differential.

Workington are minus five with just Glasgow to race, while leaders Edinburgh are strongly placed with plus 65 ahead of their trip to Glasgow on April 27.

Thomas said: “It’s a long shot, and we definitely need two high-scoring matches. We have to beat Glasgow handsomely and they have to do the same to Edinburgh.

“All we can do is win by as big a margin as possible on Saturday and then hope Glasgow can do us a big favour when they race against the Monarchs.

“They are big rivals in Scotland so there’s no doubt that Glasgow would love to give Edinburgh the elbow from the Premier Trophy competition and will know they can do it by beating them handsomely.”

It shouldn’t be forgotten, either, that Glasgow can still qualify themselves for the semi-final. If they win at Derwent Park on Saturday, to earn three points they would be level with the Comets and two points behind Edinburgh.

A win over the Monarchs would enable them to head the group alongside their rivals and it would depend on scoring differential as to who went through.

But going into tomorrow’s match Glasgow are minus 21 and for them to pup Edinburgh they will also be looking for two big victories.