By John Walsh

Last updated at 12:37, Friday, 22 June 2012

Ipswich Witches 39 Workington Comets 51: Workington Comets produced one of their best performances since the team returned to British speedway, with last night’s remarkable win at Ipswich.

Rene Bach

Four race advantages and a shared heat over the final third of the meeting carried the Comets to a win which underlined their title credentials.

Although they have only ridden three Premier League matches, two have been away from home, and they remain unbeaten with several matches in hand of the majority of teams in the competition.

Team manager Tony Jackson said: “We have never ever won at Ipswich, going back to 1970. In fact I don’t believe we’ve ever been in the lead on their track so this was something special.

“I think it has to be up there with all the best things the Comets have done over the years.

“To go to one of the best teams in the league and beat them so decisively has given everyone a lift, especially as they are our opponents in the semi-final of the League Cup.”

Rene Bach, with a five-ride 15-point maximum; returning reserve Kyle Howarth, with 11 points and two bonus from six rides and a double-figure points return from back-to-form Rusty Harrison, were the Comets’ highlights.

But it was essentially a fine team performance from the Comets who had been rocked in the opening heat of the night with a 5-1 by the home side.

From there it was topsy-turvy, with both sides taking turns to lead, but a big 5-1 from the Comets in heat ten edged them ahead again and from that point they roared through to victory.

A Comet won 11 of the 15 races and not one of the Ipswich riders achieved double figures, while ex-Comet Kevin Doolan could only manage seven points from his five rides.

Rohan Tungate was an impressive winner of the opening heat when a wobble from Kenny Ingalls on the third turn of the first lap let in Leigh Lanham for second a home 5-1.

The first shared heat came in the reserves clash when Mathieu Tressarrieu got away and was followed home by Howarth and Gary Irving.

Bach gave a taster of what was to come when he won the third but Adam Roynon was never able to get in a blow and the points were shared.

Workington drew level with their own 5-1 in the fourth when Ipswich lost Dakota North after he was excluded for bringing down Howarth. Harrison and Howarth gated in the re-run to leave home reserve Cameron Heeps struggling in third.

The Comets took the lead for the first time in heat five when skipper Richard Lawson did really well to get past Doolan at the end of the first lap. With Ingalls holding off Morten Risager the 4-2 put Workington ahead.

But after the next race it was all square. Despite some really aggressive riding from Harrison he just couldn’t get past Tungate, and Lanham took the final point in third.

Although North got a flier in heat seven he couldn’t cope with a surge from Bach down the back straight and the Dane went on to record his second win from a shared race.

Tungate, with two wins beforehand, fell in heat eight and although he remounted was never a factor and it was Howarth who beat Heeps ahead of Ingalls for another Comets’ 4-2.

But when Ipswich colleted a 5-1 in heat nine, courtesy of Risager and Doolan, to edge them ahead, home fans though that would be the spur they needed.

Instead Workington reacted superbly with successive 5-1s for Bach and Howarth, and Lawson and Ingalls

When Bach won again, with Howarth coming in third, the 4-2 gave the Comets an eight-point advantage with three heats remaining.

Reminded during the interval of what had happened in similar circumstances at Glasgow on Sunday, the Comets riders were in no mood to let their lead slip again.

Harrison won heat thirteen in a shared heat; Roynon scored his sole win in the penultimate race for a 4-2 and the final 4-2 ion heat fifteen saw Bach and Harrison split by Risager.

IPSWICH WITCHES 39: Morten Risager 9, Kevin Doolan 7+2, Leigh Lanham 6+1, Rohan Tungate 6, Dakota North 4+1, Mathieu Tresarrieu 4+1, Cameron Heeps 3

WORKINGTON COMETS 51: Rene Bach 15, Kyle Howarth 11+2, Rusty Harrison 10, Richard Lawson 6, Kenny Ingalls 5+1, Adam Roynon 3, Gary Irving 1

First published at 11:27, Friday, 22 June 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk