By John Walsh

Last updated at 13:13, Monday, 18 June 2012

Glasgow Tigers 45 Workington Comets 45: Workington Comets were unable to see it through at Ashfield, throwing away an eight-point lead heading into the last two heats.

Richard Lawson

The Comets had to settle for two points from a drawn Premier League clash as the Tigers grabbed two late 5-1s to finish all square.

Team manager Tony Jackson said: “It was sickening really, because we went through something similar early in the season at Newcastle. I thought the Tigers were there for the taking and it’s a win that really got away from us.

“The only consolation is that we could go home with two points and we didn’t lose.”

The Comets had expected to have reserve Kyle Howarth back from injury but he wasn’t quite ready and former Workington rider Joe Haines guested.

He did a steady enough job at number seven, winning the reserves race and finishing with three more racing points and a bonus.

Howarth will be back on Thursday night when the Comets face a tough test away from home against the Ipswich Witches.

The Comets had led 17-13 after five heats but were two behind after eight races. At this point Jackson called his side together and the response was excellent, for after four more races the Comets had opened-up an eight-point advantage.

When Richard Lawson raced to his fourth straight win in heat thirteen to ensure a 3-3 it left the Comets on the brink of a famous victory.

Jackson said: “I thought heat fifteen might be a problem with Joe Screen and James Grieves in for Glasgow but I thought we would clinch the win in the penultimate race.

“Adam Roynon had been excellent, with a win over Screen in heat ten, and I thought he would be able to do it for us. But young Aussie Mason Campton got away well and Chris Mills went past Adam on the last turn of the first lap.

“Try as he could Adam just couldn’t get through again and that meant Glasgow were back in the huint.

“From the start of heat 15, Screeny clamped Richard to the grass as Grieves went away and there was just no room for him to get past again for the second place which would have won us the match.”

Reserve Campton was Glasgow’s top points’ scorer for the Tigers with 13, and he looked stronger the longer the match went on. He has improved by leaps and bounds as the season has gone on.

The Tigers had to use rider replacement for the absent Philip Sitera and after failing to score from the first use, picked-up two points in each of the remaining three heats.

They also had ex-Comet James Wright in as a guest and after he got away with a flier in his first outing to win heat three he only managed a third place in his remaining three rides.

Workington’s cause wasn’t helped by a couple of tapes offences. Rusty Harrison was replaces by Haines in heat six, which finished as a 5-1 to the Tigers. Then a race later Rene Bach burst through the tapes, but he went back in on a 15-metre handicap and was able to power into third spot in a shared heat.

The impeccable Lawson (13) and Roynon (8) were Workington’s main scorers with Bach, Harrison and Haines all finishing with six.

Kenny Ingalls, still desperately short of track time, started with two blanks before finding some form with two second places. He had collected three points on Saturday night in the Grand Prix qualifier at Berwick but conditions were very poor and the American, given his run of injuries and the fact he broke a leg at Shielfield, was just happy to finish in one piece.

GLASGOW TIGERS 45: Mason Campton 13+1, Joe Screen 10+2, James Grieves 10, Chris Mills 6+3, James Wright 4+1, Jayden O’Malley 2, Filip Sitera r/r

WORKINGTON COMETS 45: Richard Lawson 13, Adam Roynon 8, Rene Bach 6+2, Joe Haines 6+1, Rusty Harrison 6, Kenny Ingalls 4+1, Gary Irving 2

First published at 11:30, Monday, 18 June 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk