Workington Comets number one Connor Bailey made another important step in his career last night at Glasgow.
Riding for the Redcar in the Championship Knockout Cup he was chosen to represent the Bears in the final heat of the night.
The tie was already won on aggregate when he and another former Glasgow rider Danyon Hume were asked to go in Heat 15.
Glasgow took a 5-1 but Bailey finished third to complete a five-ride contribution of six points and a bonus , made up of four thirds and a second.
Redcar stormed into the semi-finals with a stunning 48-42 away win, progressing to the last four by a 22-point aggregate margin.
Former Tigers rider Danyon Hume made a sensational return to Ashfield with 11 points from his first four rides, and his total was matched by captain Charles Wright, a former Workington rider, as the Bears dominated the second leg.
They were 12 points up on the night after Heat 12 before a late rally from the home side saw them trim the deficit, with captain Tom Brennan (11+1) and Chris Harris (11) leading the way.
But the Tigers had no complaints with the overall outcome and Brennan expressed the mood of disappointment in the home camp.
He said: “Fair play to Redcar, they outrode us over the two legs. We just weren’t good enough.
“It’s a massive wake up call. We have made a great start to the season and reached one final in the BSN Series. But this is a kick up the backside big time.
“It’s a huge let-down for the fans. All the boys are gutted about that. We need to get our heads up ready for the start of the league campaign on Friday.”
Bailey, who has been in splendid form for the Comets, had scored his first Championship win last week and has now added a Heat 15 appearance to his list of achievements.
He will be back in action for the Comets on Saturday when they are back at Northside for their stiffest test to date, a match with the Mildenhall Fen Tigers.
Comets’ team-mate Ace Pijper was riding for Glasgow at reserve and he scored two points in his final ride after an earlier fall and exclusion and two last places.
