After breaking their duck away from home at Peterborough on Friday, Workington were thwarted in their efforts to follow up at Brough Park.

The 57-33 defeat also ended Workington’s outside chance of making the play-offs as they could never seriously strike a blow against the Diamonds and only collected a heat advantage in the final race of the night.

Workington had only two race wins, both by Ricky Wells, and he led from the front for his side, finishing with double figures (10).

Manager Tony Jackson said: “Newcastle is a bit of a tricky track, an acquired taste and it was always going to be tough.

“We had some decisions go against us, which didn’t effect the result, but could have got us some more points.

“The most glaring one was when we gave a tactical ride to Ricky Wells. He was virtually elbowed onto the grass, not the shortest route to take, yet he was excluded for having two wheels off the track.

“Young Liam Carr was excluded in the reserve race and everyone thought it should have been all four riders back to the tapes.”

Carr had been brought in as reserve guest for the injured Adam Roynon and Jackson was quick to praise his effort which earned him four points and a bonus.

“He had scored well for Berwick at Newcastle on a previous visit and he battled well for us,” added Jackson.

“Adam suffered a shoulder injury at Peterborough and we are hoping he’s going to be able to resume against Somerset on Saturday.”

Former Comet Rene Bach had got past Wells at the end of the first lap in heat one to grab the lead and he held it to the flag. Wells and Mason Campton followed him home to share the points.

Another ex-Workington rider took the reserve race. Ashley Morris gated and then pulled well clear in a re-run after Workington’s reserve guest Liam Carr fell off and was excluded. Danny Phillips forced his way past Matt Williamson to complete the first 5-1.

The second wasn’t long in coming as the Diamonds pair Ludwig Lindgren and Matej Kus stormed away from the tapes in the next, leaving Rasmus Jensen and Kenneth Hansen trailing.

Heat four points were shared after Robert Lambert stormed clear and won by a distance from Claus Vissing and Williamson.

With eight points between them, Comets needed to make inroads and take some heat advantages. They couldn’t manage that but at least the next two heats were shared.

Wells became Workington’s first race winner in heat five when he gated well and raced clear but Kus and Lindgren made sure it counted as a 3-3.

Bach got away best in heat six and he also won easily but young Carr and Vising earned a share of the points in second and third.

A third successive 3-3 came in heat seven which proved to be the best race of the night. Lambert gated but Hansen went round him off bend two.

But the talented Lambert then came back strongly and somehow squeezed between Hansen and the fence on the home straight to hit the front and stay there. Jensen and Hansen followed him in.

The Comets had stemmed the flow of points from the Diamonds but the next three heats proved disastrous as Newcastle collected successive 5-1, 5-1 and 4-2 heat advantages.

Heat eight was actually awarded after Carr touched the fence with his back wheel on lap three and took a nasty fall with Kus and Morris left in front of Williamson.

Carr had recovered enough to ride in heat nine and he picked-up a point ahead of team-mate Vissing with Kus and Lindgren pocketing the main points for Newcastle.

Bach was out-gated by Hansen in heat ten but tailed him and swept past on lap three for the win. Jensen eventually claimed second for the Comets ahead of Morris.

Trailing by 18 points, Workington gave Wells a tactical ride in heat 11 but it proved a disaster as he was excluded for having both wheels off the track before bend one.

In his absence, Lambert and Morris romped home from the trailing Campton.

Kus easily won the next from Hansen and Carr in a share of the points and the Diamonds earned a 4-2 in heat 13 when Wells split Lambert and Bach.

There was another 4-2 in the penultimate heat as Lindgren won well after an initial good start from Jensen with Morris in third.

Workington’s only heat advantage came in the last when Wells won easily from Lindgren with Jensen taking the final point. Kus had retired when lying at the back.

Newcastle Diamonds 57

1. Rene Bach (Guest) - 3, 3, 3, 1 = 10

2. R/R for Victor Palovaara - (AM - 0, DP - 0, MK - 3, AM - 1 = 4)

3. Matej Kus - 2’, 2, 3, 3, 3, R = 13+1

4. Ludvig Lindgren - 3, 1’, 2’, 3, 2 = 11+2

5. Robert Lambert - 3, 3, 3, 3 = 12 MAXIMUM

6. Ashley Morris - 0, 3, (DP - 0), 2’, 1, 2’, 1 = 9+2

7. Danny Phillips - 2’, R, 0, 0, (AM - 2’), 0 = 2+1

Workington Comets 33

1. Ricky Wells - 2, 3, X, 2, 3 = 10

2. Mason Campton - 1’, 0, (LC - F/X), 1 = 2+1

3. Kenneth Hansen - 0, 1’, 0, 2 = 3+1

4. Ramsus Jensen - 1, 2, 2, 2, 1 = 8

5. Claus Vissing - 2, 1’, 0, 0 = 3+1

6. Liam Carr (Guest) - F/X, 2, F/X, 1, 1’ = 4+1

7. Matt Williamson - 1, 1’, 1, 0 = 3+1

HEAT-BY-HEAT

Heat 1: Bach, Wells, Campton, Morris 3-3, 63.0

Heat 2: Re-Run: Morris, Phillips, Williamson 5-1, (8-4), 64.5 (Carr - Fell / Excluded)

Heat 3: Lindgren, Kus, Jensen, Hansen 5-1, (13-5 , 65.1

Heat 4: Lambert, Vissing, Williamson, Phillips - Retired 3-3, (16-8) 64.2

Heat 5: Wells, Kus, Lindgren, Campton 3-3, (19-11), 64.3

Heat 6: Bach, Carr, Vissing, Phillips 3-3, (22-14), 65.5

Heat 7: Lambert, Jensen, Hansen, Phillips 3-3, (25-17), 64.1

Heat 8: Awarded: Kus, Morris, Williamson, Carr - Fell / Excluded 5-1 (30-18)

Heat 9: Kus, Lindgren, Carr, Vissing 5-1, (35-19), 64.4

Heat 10: Bach, Jensen, Morris, Hansen 4-2, (39-21), 65.0

Heat 11: Re-Run: Lambert, Morris, Campton 5-1 (44-22) 64.6 (Wells - Excluded)

Heat 12: Kus, Hansen, Carr, Phillips 3-3 (47-25) 65.5

Heat 13: Lambert, Wells, Bach, Vissing 4-2, (51-27), 63.6

Heat 14: Lindgren, Jensen, Morris, Williamson 4-2, (55-29), 65.8

Heat 15: Wells, Lindgren, Jensen, Kus - Retired 2-4, (57-33), 64.5