Workington Comets lose unbeaten home record in final match at Derwent Park

By Ian Waterhouse

Last updated at 12:00, Monday, 21 September 2009

Workington Comets 42 King's Lynn Stars 51: Workington Comets lost their unbeaten home record in their final home league fixture of the season after going down 42-51 to King’s Lynn at Derwent Park on Saturday.

Comets Craig Cook (red) and John Branney (blue) lead Linus Eklof (green) and Jan Gravesen (yellow)

Results earlier in the week had already ensured that Comets could not take a play-off place, although a fifth place league finish and first choice of opponent in the Young Shield were still up for grabs.

However, Comets knew they would have it all to do as they lined up against the newly-crowned champions with only four fit riders and two guests.

And the size of the task became evident in the first heat, as the Workington public were introduced to Australian sensation Darcy Ward.

The 17-year-old had missed the Premier Trophy meeting in Workington earlier this season, and seemed determined to make up for lost time as he sped around his first four racing laps at Derwent Park in 62.9 seconds – just one-tenth of a second off Kevin Doolan’s track record.

The second heat was shared, before Comets then took the lead in the next thanks to their only maximum of the night.

Adrian Rymel teamed up with Craig Cook on a rider replacement ride, and Cook showed great maturity to stay in front of a charging Chris Schramm, who more than once came within inches of Cook’s back wheel.

Comets then held their slender advantage through the next heat, but were given a nasty shock when Rymel took to the track again in heat five.

He and Ward had pulled well clear, with the Australian putting the home rider under all kinds of pressure.

It looked as though Rymel would hold him off, but the Czech fell on the exit of the last corner with worrying echoes of Kevin Doolan’s crash at the same point just seven days earlier. The ambulance was almost immediately on the track, but to everyone’s great relief Rymel was able to walk back to the pits unaided after only the briefest delay.

But Ward’s win meant the visitors had regained the lead, which they then built out to six points by the end of heat eight.

Rymel was again unable to capitalise on a winning position in heat nine, although this time his misfortune was mechanical as his bike slowed to a standstill on the third lap when he had a comfortable lead.

This presented another heat advantage to the Stars, and when they recorded a maximum in the next, the lead had grown to 12 points.

The tactical ride was taken at the first opportunity, and handed to Andre Compton off gate one against Ward on his immediate outside.

It looked as though Ward had gated ahead of the Comets man, but Compton got through on the inside on the second bend and then resisted his attentions for the remainder of the race to claim six points.

Heat 12 was shared after John Branney nipped up the inside of Linus Eklof for the single point, before Ward got back to winning ways in heat 13 - a result that ensured victory for the visitors.

Reserve Jan Graversen caused the main incident of heat 14 when he rode through the tapes, and Compton was able to claim the honours in the re-run.

However, the night’s final heat again belonged to Ward, whose fourth victory brought down the chequered flag on Comets’ 2009 league season.

WORKINGTON COMETS 42

1. Jason Lyons (G) 2, 2, 1, 2, 0 = 7

2. Justin Sedgmen (G) R, 0, 0 = 0

3. Adrian Rymel 3, F, R, 2 = 5

4. Rider Replacement for Richard Lawson

5. Andre Compton (c) 2, 3, 6^, 1*, 3, 2 = 17+1

6. Craig Cook 2, 2*, 1, 1, 1, 0, 1 = 8+1

7. John Branney 1*, 1*, 0, 2, 1* = 5+3

KING’S LYNN STARS 51

1. Darcy Ward 3, 3, 2, 3, 3 = 14