Last updated at 11:52, Monday, 09 July 2012

Proud Workington Comets owner Keith Denham hailed his team’s stunning comeback against Somerset on Saturday, a match described by some as one of the best to be seen at Derwent Park for 10 years.

Keith Denham

Workington overcame the Rebels 45-44 after a tremendous fightback from seven points down with only six heats to go.

However, the Comets were left frustrated last night after their Knock-Out Cup semi-final first leg at Leicester was called off when Comets were leading 24-18.

Team manager Tony Jackson said the team had been cruising and he was confident they would have built up a healthy lead for the second leg which takes place in a fortnight at Derwent Park.

However, a re-staging date will now have to be found for the leg at Leicester as torrential rain after heat seven left the track flooded with no chance of finishing the meeting.

Many fans believed the Saturday match was one of the best ever seen at Derwent Park and Denham agreed despite problems in the build up to the match.

He said: “It is a feeling of total relief and I thought it was impossible to get back.

“Somerset caught us on a bad night with everything that has happened this week.

“It was one of those nights and it was one of the best matches at Derwent Park. I am really proud of all the lads and everybody played their part.”

Workington’s fightback was inspired by Adam Roynon, who also broke the track record in his first ride recording a time of 61.8 seconds.

He scored a paid 17 points but the most crucial of those was a third place in the last heat when he produced a fantastic pass on Sam Masters on the third bend of the last lap to record shared heat which gave Workington the unlikeliest of victories.

Denham said: “I put faith in Adam at the start of the season and he has returned it.

“He is riding his best ever at Workington and he is the total package.

“Before the last heat I went to Richard and Adam and said just get a 3-3 and don’t push it because by then I had settled for a 3-3. It shows what it meant to them when they got it.”

Denham also had praise for the Somerset team who played their part in such a great meeting.

He said: “Somerset are the toughest team we will see here. When you see that they have either Jason Doyle, Sam Masters or Claus Vissing in nearly every heat they have no weak links.

“Doyle is capable of holding down an Elite League place without the Premier League.”

First published at 11:28, Monday, 09 July 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk