Workington Comets 50 Berwick Bandits 40: Workington Comets kept their unbeaten Premier League home record intact with a confident 50-40 win over Berwick last night.

Kevin Doolan lunged to the front on his old track in the opening heat but Mason Campton and Ricky Wells were comfortable behind him to keep Dawid Stachyra at the back and share the points.

Adam Roynon took the lead in heat two but Liam Carr was breathing down his neck for the first lap, while Matt Williamson was stranded in last place for another draw.

Kenneth Hansen catapulted around the pack on the first two bends to win heat three, with Rasmus Jensen in control behind him as Comets kick-started their meeting with a 5-1.

Nobody was beating Thomas Jorgensen in heat four but Claus Vissing seized second place ahead of Carr to at least limit the visitors to a 4-2.

Jensen and Hansen were well clear of the chasing Doolan until a mistake from the Comets No3 allowed the Bandit through into second.

Wells turned on the flair with an accomplished win by some distance in heat six but Campton was last by an even greater distance behind Gappmaier and Jorgensen as the points were shared.

Comets legend Carl Stonehewer was interviewed on the centre green before heat seven and received a warm reception from supporters as he talked about his son Beau’s blossoming love for the sport.

Vissing was forced to start with a 15-metre handicap after destroying the tapes and the Dane couldn’t catch Theo Pijper or Matthew Wethers as the Bandits drew level with the hosts.

Williamson finally came to the party with an impressive win in heat eight but Campton was sandwiched between Carr and Gappmaier in a home 4-2 despite the Australian’s best efforts to join his teammate.

Jorgensen again roared around well clear of Jensen and Hansen in heat nine before Campton won heat 10 with an epic battle between Wells and Pijper behind him ending with the American snatching second on the run to the line.

Doolan edged the start in heat 11 and shrugged off a keen Roynon to take the win ahead of him and Vissing to make it 36-30 with four heats to go.

Hansen was first to the flag with a dominant ride in heat 12 while Williamson wound up at the back after coming close to a crash on the second bend of the opening lap.

Wells made a superb start to heat 13 before Vissing recovered from a poor gate with a spectacular drive between Doolan and Jorgensen out of the fourth bend to take second place and extended Comets’ lead to 10 points.

Wethers and Carr burst to the front in the penultimate heat but Roynon and Jensen quickly darted past the latter for a draw that left Berwick needing maximum points from the last race to take a point.

Roynon replaced Jensen in the final after the Dane went through the tapes but the Bandits made a perfect gate to clear off ahead of the Comets duo.

Jorgensen hit the fence on the second lap and was unable to free his bike so was excluded from the rerun.

Doolan rode a smooth four laps for the win but the 3-3 was not enough to earn his side a point as Wells and Roynon followed him home.

On Saturday, Comets went down 54-36 at Berwick in a challenge match with the Border Trophy on the line. The result made it 76-73 to the Bandits on aggregate and meant the hosts just pipped Comets to the silverware.

A strong showing from captain Wells could not inspire his side to the trophy, with former Bandit Vissing in particular struggling badly on his former track.

WORKINGTON COMETS 50: Ricky Wells 11+2, Rasmus Jensen 8+2, Kenneth Hansen 8+1, Adam Roynon 8+1, Claus Vissing 6+2, Mason Campton 6, Matt Williamson 3

BERWICK BANDITS 40: Kevin Doolan 12, Thomas Jorgensen 7+1, Liam Carr 7, Matthew Wethers 6+1, Theo Pijper 5+1, Dany Gappmaier 3+1, Dawid Stachyra 0