Workington Comets ended their season on a winning note when they beat Kent Royals 54-35 at Northside.
It was also good enough to earn the Comets the aggregate point by 94-85 and ensured they finished above the Royals in the final National Development League programme.
Connor Bailey was once again the star for the home side, roaring to a five-ride 15 point maximum and emphasising just how reliable and consistent he is around his home track.
There was also a pleasing season’s best from skipper Luke Crang who scored 11 from the reserve slot.
The Comets had got off to a flying start with a 5-1 in heat one. Young Elliot led for the first two laps then Bailey took over and the Royals weren’t helped by a fall by Nathan Ablitt on turn four of the opening lap when in third place.
It was the first of four heat maximums for the Comets, who also took a 4-2 in the last, while all the other ten heats were shared.
The rejuvenated Crang had got off the mark nicely in the reserves race after working his way through from third to first by lap three.
Workington’s guest at reserve Senna Summers was second on that opening lap but then dropped back to third and only just got pipped for third place by Connor King on the line.
Summers, who had impressed the Comets management in practice, went on to take four rides and got his only point in heat eleven when he did really well to get third ahead of Ashton Vale.
The fastest time of the afternoon was set in heat six when Bailey led from tape to flag to win by some distance in 57.2 – a fair but outside his own track record of 55.8.
Race of the day came in the final heat when the Kent pairing of Ablitt and Ben Morley led around the first turn with Bailey snapping at their heels.
Then on turns 3 and 4 of the second lap an inside move by Bailey managed to split the pairing before he continued his inside run onto the home straight to pass Ablitt and take the lead.
Meanwhile Ace Pijper pulled back some ground to pass Morley in the latter stages of the final lap to round-off the match with a 4-2 and the Comets fifth heat advantage.
Workington Comets 54: Connor Bailey 15; Elliot Kelly 4 + 2; Ace Pijper 8 + 2; Sam McGurk 9; Luke Harrison 6 + 1; Senna Summers 1 + 1; Luke Crang 11.
Kent Royals 35: Nathan Ablett 9; rider replacement for Rhys Naylor; Freddie Hodder 4; Tom Woolley 5 + 1; Ben Morley 8 + 1; Connor King 4 + 3; Ashton Vale 5 + 2.
