By John Walsh

Last updated at 11:30, Monday, 02 April 2012

Newcastle 46 Workington Comets 44: Workington Comets were pipped on the line at Brough Park last night as they fell agonisingly short of a third straight win in the League Cup.

Kenny Ingalls

After a fine opening win at Sheffield, followed by Saturday’s blistering 60-35 home success against Redcar, the Comets were always looking as though they would win again.

With three races left Workington had an eight point advantage but a big finish by the Diamonds gave them 5-1, 4-2 and 5-1 heat advantages to snatch the victory.

Team manager Tony Jackson said: “It was a bit like being mugged. We just needed six points from the last three races to clinch the win but it wasn’t to be.

“The bonus point was welcome, but my main concern is for Kenny [Ingalls] who had to be withdrawn after just two rides. He has a very sore shoulder, described as soft tissue damage and they don’t think anything is broken or dislocated.

“But we’ll just have to see how things settle down and thankfully we don’t race again until Saturday.

“I have to single out Kyle Howarth again because he did ever so well after taking a hard fall in heat eight when Kenny picked-up his damaged shoulder. Kyle’s bike was bent and he had to use his second machine after that but he really did us proud.”

The Comets had easily held-off Saturday’s challenge from the Bears with skipper Richard Lawson (13), Rusty Harrison (12 maximum) and Adam Roynon leading the charge.

But at Newcastle it was Thursday night’s hero, reserve Kyle Howarth who was the inspiration behind the Comets’ challenge. He worked hard all night, taking seven rides, earning three races wins and finishing with 13 points and a bonus.

Newcastle shared the opening heat with Mark Lemon winning easily from Kenny Ingalls and Rene Bach, before grabbing the lead with a 4-2 in the reserves race.

Richie Worrall got away and Howarth nipped past Steve Worrall early on the second lap and stayed there for the duration of the race.

But it was to be a short-lived lead as Roynon and Lawson stormed to a 5-1 in the third, leaving their Newcastle rivals trailing from the gate. The Diamonds weren’t to get back in front again until when it mattered – after the last race.

It was Howarth who got a flier in the fourth, but team-mate Harrison was struggling with mechanical problems and missed out on the points in a shared heat.

Ingalls made the gate in the next but Bach was sluggish. However that set-up one of the Dane’s famous charges as he first got past Ludvig Lindgren and then round Claes Nedermark on the final bend to earn a sensational 5-1 to the Comets.

Newcastle closed the leeway to four points by taking a 4-2 in the sixth. Christian Henry had to work very hard to hold-off a resurgent Harrison but Gary Irving couldn’t get into the argument at the back.

Lawson and Roynon got another good start in heat seven but this time they couldn’t go on to record another 5-1. Stuart Robson got round Roynon and followed Lawson top the line.

Heat eight proved a disaster for the Comets as Richie Worrall seemed to bring down both Ingalls and Howarth, who crashed into the fence. Referee Dave Dowling surprisingly allowed all four back into the re-run but the Comets had to bring in Irving for Ingalls after the American suffered a shoulder injury.

He was subsequently withdrawn from the meeting, which was crucial as he had ridden a second and a first place in his only two races.

To add insult to injury Henry and Worrall raced to a 5-1 in the re-run and Irving picked-up his only point of the night ahead of Howarth, who still looked shaken after his fall.

It says a lot about the teenager, though, that he came out in the next race – and won it, fashioning a 4-1 with Harrison, and Nedermark the Newcastle meat in the sandwich.

This remarkable match turned again in heat ten when a 5-1 for the Diamonds pulled them level at 30-30. This time Roynon and Lawson were left standing at the gate and had to follow Henry and Lemon all the way round.

Amazingly Workington responded with two successive 5-1’s of their own. The admirable Howarth led in Bach and then teamed-up with his skipper to follow home Lawson in the 12th.

With a lead of 40-32, and only three races left Workington could virtually touch the finish line. But it wasn’t to be.

First it was Robson and Lemon who were too quick for Harrison with Bach again let-down by his gating. Then Roynon could only manage second between Nedermark and Steve Worrall.

Still they led 43-41 going into the last heat when there was more controversy. Robson seemed to knock-off Bach but it was the Workington rider who was excluded.

Lawson was out-gunned by Robson and Lemon in the re-run and knew his fate at the start of lap two.

Newcastle Diamonds 46: Mark Lemon 10+3, Christian Henry 9, Ludvig Lindgren 1, Claes Nedermark 7+1, Stuart Robson 11, Steve Worrall 2, Richie Worrall 6+1

Workington Comets 44: Rene Bach 5+3, Kenny Ingalls 5, Richard Lawson 9+1, Adam Roynon 7, Rusty Harrison 4, Gary Irving 1, Kyle Howarth 13+1

First published at 11:29, Monday, 02 April 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk