Workington Comets manager Tony Jackson put his side’s dismal first half display at Berwick down to rustiness as the west Cumbrians raced their first meeting in more than two weeks.

Comets made a stuttering start as reruns, bike problems and a lack of sharpness combined to leave them 24 points behind after seven heats.

A turnaround saw them compete much more strongly in the second half to restore some pride but the damage had already been done.

Jackson said: “We didn’t get off to the best start obviously, with Ricky pulled back and probably rightly so looking at the replay.

“We then seemed to be chasing the meeting from the start.

“In the second half we were more on it and, between heats eight and 13, we actually outscored Berwick but it was too little, too late.

“It was hugely disappointing, especially for the Workington fans that travelled over or tuned in.

“We were quite confident of getting something so it wasn’t good enough.

“To have our heaviest defeat of the season in front of the Sky TV cameras when you’re hoping to put on a good show has left everybody pretty down.”

Comets are hoping to bounce back on Saturday against a Glasgow side which boasts former Workington stars Rene Bach and Richard Lawson, but they then face another two-week wait before their next meeting.

Jackson was frustrated by his riders’ lack of track time and said it seemed to be the primary cause of the team’s struggles.

“Speedway riders like to be racing all the time and they’ve only had one meeting in the last 23 days and that one was 16 days ago,” he said.

“I think it showed because we weren’t sharp from the gates and if you didn’t make it it was so hard. There’s nobody doubling up so everybody’s rusty which is generally the way the season’s gone.

“We’re not the only club in that situation at all though.”