Last updated at 08:32, Friday, 31 July 2009

WORKINGTON slumped to their worst performance of the season less than 24 hours after their convincing victory in the prestigious Premier League Fours.

LAST HEAT: Kevin Doolan (green) and Adrian Rymel (yellow) lead Newcastle’s Kenni Larsen (blue) into the first turn of the final heat on Sunday

It was a display that left team manager Ian Thomas shell-shocked, especially as the team picked up an injury which could effect tomorrow’s return with the Diamonds.

Thomas said: “I was extremely proud to be team manager of Workington Comets on Saturday night. I’m afraid I couldn’t say the same about the match at Newcastle.

“I’ve seen a lot of speedway over the years involving the Comets and I can’t remember anything quite as bad as this.”

Always behind and chasing the match, the Comets would have been in deeper trouble had Adrian Rymel not won both his last two races.

Even when Thomas was forced into putting-in tactical rides the Comets couldn’t prosper as both Rymel and Doolan could do no better than finish third behind the two Diamonds riders for only the single point.

Reserve Adam McKinna won the crowd’s approval on both occasions as the reserve sat in behind new signing Mark Lemon to keep the Comets at bay.

There was more agony for the Comets in heat eight, this time of a physical kind. Richard Lawson, attempting to go round Trent Leverington, went too wide and collided with the fence.

He fell awkwardly and dislocated his shoulder in the tumble. Although it was put back in on track and he was able to walk back to the pits he was withdrawn from the rest of the meeting and it will be touch and go whether he can ride for the Comets tomorrow.

In a disappointing re-run for the Comets Leverington dived under Branney to take a 5-1 with Derek Sneddon and the Diamonds lead by 18 points.

Rymel then split Larsen and Sneddon in heat 10 before Doolan was brought in as a tactical ride for the next.

Lemon and McKinna again made lightning starts to give themselves a lot of daylight. Although the Workington skipper chased hard and he couldn’t catch them.

The battle of the big guns in heat 13 saw Larsen blast round Doolan and Compton before Lemon picked off the Comets pair on the next circuit for a remarkable 5-1.

Branney earned a battling second in the penultimate heat and Rymel won the final race.

First published at 19:30, Thursday, 30 July 2009
Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk