Berwick 48 Workington Comets 44

A tricky track and a patched-up Berwick side frustrated Workington Comets as they suffered a disheartening 48-44 defeat on the road at the SGB Championship strugglers.

The disappointment of losing to the league’s bottom team may have been softened by the four-point margin which ensured Comets did not leave empty-handed, but it will still have felt like a missed opportunity.

Comets were confident heading into the meeting but a snapped chain for captain Craig Cook while leading the opening heat set the tone and the visitors were always on the back foot from that point.

With Cook relegated to the back, Mason Campton was left to battle around between Nick Morris and Todd Kurtz to limit the hosts to a 4-2.

Matt Williamson continued to make the reserve race his own with a win in heat two, with Workington guest Ryan MacDonald slotting into third, but the meeting took a turn for the worse as the hosts managed a 5-1 through Todd Kurtz and former Comet Kevin Doolan in heat three.

They followed that up with a 4-2 thanks to Lewis Bridger’s brilliant ride from third to first, before Comets stopped the rot with a 3-3 from the gate as Cook got back to winning ways.

They didn’t stop it for long as Morris dominated from the gate and Doolan sneaked inside Thomas Jorgensen, who struggled to impose himself on his old track, for another 5-1 which put the away side 10 points down.

Ty Proctor immediately took a tactical ride and a lightning start had him and James Sarjeant on an 8-1 which would blow the meeting wide open.

Bridger had other ideas, slipping past Sarjeant then catapulting around the outside of Proctor before the end of the first lap to restrict Workington to a 5-3.

The Bandits No.5 looked unstoppable as he was first to the flag again in heat eight, winning comfortably ahead of Campton and Williamson to share the points.

Jorgensen and Williamson sprang away from the line on a 5-1 in heat nine and, although Doolan reeled in the latter, another heat advantage gave Comets hope of a comeback.

That hope looked almost over as Jye Etheridge and Morris expertly held off Sarjeant and Proctor for another 5-1 in heat 10.

But the Cook/Campton partnership which has delivered so often for Workington this season did so again in the re-run of heat 11 after Bridger took a tumble with a 5-1 of their own to keep Workington in touch.

Etheridge was on fire as he claimed his second win of the night in heat 12 but Proctor and Williamson were hot on his heels for a draw before Cook showed Morris how to ride his track with a brilliant ride from the gate, while Jorgensen was third.

Comets had somehow rallied after a disastrous start to be in with a chance of winning the meeting with two races to go but Etheridge again foiled the visitors’ plan with another win, this time ahead of Sarjeant and Doolan, to ensure victory for the home side.

All was not lost as a 3-3 or better would give Comets a league point to take away and Cook and Jorgensen delivered a 4-2 to put a silver lining on what had been a bad day at the office.

MATCH FACTS:

Berwick Bandits 48

1. Nick Morris – 2, 2, 2*, 2, 2 = 10+1

2. David Howe R/R

3. Todd Kurtz – 1, 3, 1*, 0, 0 = 5+1

4. Kevin Doolan – 2*, 2, 2*, 2, 1, 0 = 9+2

5. Lewis Bridger – 3, 3, 3, FX = 9

6. Jye Etheridge – 2, 0, 3, 3, 0, 3 = 11

7. Nathan Greaves – 0, 1, 0, 1 = 2

Workington Comets 44

1. Craig Cook – R, 3, 3, 3, 3 = 12

2. Mason Campton – 2, 0, 2, 2* = 6+1

3. Ty Proctor – 1, 4^, 0, 2 = 7

4. James Sarjeant – 0, 1*, 1, 2 = 4+1

5. Thomas Jorgensen – 2, 1, 3, 1, 1 = 8

6. Matt Williamson – 3, 1*, 1, 1*, 0 = 6+2

7. Ryan MacDonald – 1, 0, 0 = 1

HEAT BY HEAT

HEAT 1 – Morris, Campton, Kurtz, Cook (retired) – 66.9, 4-2

HEAT 2 – Williamson, Etheridge, MacDonald, Greaves – 68.4, 2-4, 6-6

HEAT 3 – Kurtz, Doolan, Proctor, Sarjeant – 67.8, 5-1, 11-7

HEAT 4 – Bridger, Jorgensen, Greaves, MacDonald – 66.8, 4-2, 15-9

HEAT 5 (RE-RUN) – Cook, Doolan, Kurtz, Campton – 66.3, 3-3, 18-12

HEAT 6 (RE-RUN) – Morris, Doolan, Jorgensen, MacDonald – 66.8, 5-1, 23-13

HEAT 7 – Bridger, Proctor (tactical ride), Sarjeant, Etheridge – 67.8, 3-5, 26-18

HEAT 8 – Bridger, Campton, Williamson, Greaves – 67.5, 3-3, 29-21

HEAT 9 – Jorgensen, Doolan, Williamson, Kurtz – 68.6, 2-4, 31-25

HEAT 10 – Etheridge, Morris, Sarjeant, Proctor – 69.7, 5-1, 36-26

HEAT 11 (RE-RUN) – Cook, Campton, Greaves, Bridger (fell excluded) – 68.9, 1-5, 37-31

HEAT 12 – Etheridge, Proctor, Williamson, Kurtz – 68.9, 3-3, 40-34

HEAT 13 – Cook, Morris, Jorgensen, Etheridge – 68.5, 2-4, 42-38

HEAT 14 – Etheridge, Sarjeant, Doolan, Williamson – 69.7, 4-2, 46-40

HEAT 15 – Cook, Morris, Jorgensen, Doolan – 67.6, 2-4, 48-44