Workington Comets 43, Berwick Bandits 47

Workington’s late charge for the Premier League play-offs was halted almost on the line by a double defeat from the Bandits.

Injuries have disrupted Workington’s end-of-season hopes and against Berwick at Derwent Park they only had four fully fit team riders.

Richard Lawson bravely returned after being sidelined by a dislocated shoulder but was clearly in discomfort before the end.

Guest reserve Luke Priest, back in Workington colours, didn’t really get competitive and after a first race fall when lying third was unable to pick-up a point in his three remaining outings.

The Comets did rather better from rider replacement than they have been and scored eight points from the four programmed rides.

But they relied heavily on the efforts of skipper Chris Schramm and Rusty Harrison who scored 27 of the team’s points between them.

Schramm won three races while Harrison, who will be Workington’s new number one in September, had two heat victories.

Harrison has been a revelation since returning to Derwent Park and like Craig Cook before him has gone up through the team rankings from reserve, to second string and then to number one.

But collectively Workington were always up against it against a Berwick side which has been producing some excellent results recently.

New Pole Marcin Rempala looked an outstanding rider, and he had plenty of support with the two Czech Republic riders Adrian Rymel and Michal Makovsky, as well as Lee Complin.

Between them the big four won seven of the 15 heats and did enough at the bottom of the order to scramble the points which brought them the victory.

Comets’ owner Keith Denham said: “I’m disappointed to lose a home match but I have no doubt the injuries played a massive part. Even if we just had Kenny Ingalls in we would have won the match.”

Ingalls broke his leg at Shielfield in Saturday’s heavy defeat and subsequently underwent an operation to have a rod inserted. A collection at Derwent Park raised £1,400 on Saturday night, which was a remarkable gesture by the Comets fans.

Saturday’s defeat to Berwick ended the official Premier League programme and the Comets will now be concentrating on the Premier League Knockout Cup semi-final and the forthcoming Young Shield.

The pictures from the meeting were taken by PAUL ROBINSON.

Workington Comets 43

1. Craig Cook 0,1,3,2*,R = 6+1
2. Rusty Harrison 2,3,2*,2,3,1* = 13+2
3. Andre Compton 1,R,0,3,1* = 5+2
4. Peter Kildemand R/R (RH 3, CC 1, CS 3, AC 1* = 8+1) 
5. Chris Schramm 2,3,3,1,3,2 = 14
6. Richard Lawson 3,0,0,2 = 5
7. Luke Priest (g) F,0,0,0 = 0

Berwick Bandits 47

1. Adrian Rymel 3,3,3,2,0 = 11
2. Marcin Rempala 1,2*,3,2*,3 = 11+2
3. Paul Clews 0,1*,0,2 = 3+1
4. Michal Makovsky 2,2,1,3 = 8
5. Lee Complin 3,1,2,1* = 7+1 
6. Jade Mudgway 2,0,1*,1*,0 = 4+2
7. Kyle Howarth (g) 1*,1,1 = 3+1

Heat by heat

Heat 1: Rymel, Harrison, Rempala, Cook 2-4, 63.4
Heat 2: Lawson, Mudgway, Howarth, Priest 3-3, 5-7, 65.8
Heat 3: Harrison, Makovsky, Compton, Clews 4-2, 9-9, 63.3
Heat 4: Complin, Schramm, Howarth, Priest 2-4, 11-13, 63.8
Heat 5: Rymel, Rempala, Cook, Compton R 1-5, 12-18, 63.6
Heat 6: Cook, Harrison, Complin, Mudgway 5-1, 17-19, 64.0
Heat 7: Schramm, Makovsky, Clews, Lawson 3-3, 20-22, 64.0
Heat 8: Rempala, Harrison, Howarth, Priest 2-4, 22-26, 63.3
Heat 9: Schramm, Complin, Mudgway, Compton 3-3, 25-29, 64.4
Heat 10: Harrison, Cook, Makovsky, Clews 5-1, 30-30, 64.1
Heat 11: Rymel, Rempala, Schramm, Priest 1-5, 31-35, 64.3
Heat 12: Compton, Clews, Mudgway, Lawson 3-3, 34-38, 64.7
Heat 13: Schramm, Rymel, Complin, Cook R 3-3, 37-41, 64.8
Heat 14: Makovsky, Lawson, Compton, Mudgway 3-3, 40-44, 65.0
Heat 15: Rempala, Schramm, Harrison, Rymel 3-3, 43-47, 64.4

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