Workington Comets were beaten 59-31 at Oxford Chargers last night, a defeat that matched their heaviest of the season at Edinburgh last month.
The Chargers easily took the extra point as they had won 51-39 at Northside earlier in the season.
It was another tough night for the Comets on their travels as they never had a heat advantage and the best they could manage were four shared heats – three of which provided the Comets with their only race winners.
Guest number one Ashton Boughen, Ace Pijper and Elliot Kelly got to the chequered flag first while Luke Harrison top-scored with nine – scoring points in all of his five races without managing a win.
To add to Workington’s woes skipper Luke Crang was forced out of the meeting after falling in his second race and nursing an apparent arm injury as he made his way back to the pits.
The Chargers had two maximum men who the Comets couldn’t really get near – number one Jordan Jenkins rattled-up five straight wins while Henry Atkins won his first three and then twice finished second to Jenkins for a paid maximum.
Any thoughts of pulling back the 12 points from the home defeat had disappeared by half-way when the Chargers had opened-up a 31-17 lead and showed no sign of easing-up.
Boughen who won the Susan Troper Memorial meeting last month was guesting for Connor Bailey who was on Championship duty with Redcar.
He had started well enough, chasing home Jenkins in the opener and then winning his second race. He was unfortunate third time out when he lost his steel shoe and quickly dropped out, while finishing with a third place in his final outing in heat 13 behind the two top Oxford riders.
Top scorer Harrison was the leading Comet in all the five races he contested, finishing second on four occasions before taking third place in heat 15.
Kelly rounded off a poor night, in which he fell twice, by winning his final outing in heat 14.
Pijper was the Comets other race winner, which went after an opening race retirement and then a second, but was disappointed to go pointless in his last two heats.
The Comets are next in action a week on Friday (August 25) when they visit Belle Vue Colts.
Oxford Chargers 59 (110)
Jordan Jenkins 15; Jacob Clouting 5; Ryan Kinsley 9 + 1; Jody Scott 6 + 1; Henry Atkins 13 + 2; Kai Ward 4 + 1; Jason Garrad 7 + 1.
Workington Comets 31 (70)
Ashton Boughen 6; Sam McGurk 5 + 1; Luke Harrison 9; Luke Crang 0; Ace Pijper 5; Elliot Kelly 3; Harry McGurk 3.
