Workington Comets out of luck at Berwick

Claus Vissing and Troy Batchelor head for a 5-1 in heat 15 ahead of Jye Etheridge and Danyon Hume. Picture: Dave Payne

Workington Comets will have to make up 22 points when they host Berwick Bandits in the second leg of the Border Trophy.

The Bandits won the first leg at Shielfield by 56-34 as the new-look Comets rode their first match as a team following the Good Friday postponement at Scunthorpe.

The final score flattered the Bandits as the Comets were out of luck early in the meeting when they appeared to have two 5-1s in the bag but had to settle for 3-3s.

In heat three the two newcomers to British speedway Antti Vuolas and Tate Zischke gated and were away clear but Drew Kemp was still at the start line.

Troy Batchelor leading Freddy Hodder at Shielfield. Picture: Dave Payne

They had drawn well clear of Jye Etheridge but the race was stopped as Kemp was not under power and had to be rerun with just three riders.

This time Etheridge gated and raced away from the two Comets for a share of the heat points.

Sam McGurk leads Bastian Borke, Freddy Hodder and Celina Liebmann into the second heat. Picture: Dave Payne

In heat five Claus Vissing and Craig Cook were clear heading for a 5-1 when the Comets skipper fell at the start of lap three and the race was awarded as a 3-3.

It proved a costly fall, too, because Cook was forced to withdraw from the meeting after a thumb injury and after only trailing 16-14 from five heats the Comets gradually fell out of contention.

Sam McGurk on his way to winning heat 2, Comets first heat winner of 2024. Picture: Dave Payne

On three occasions a Comet was looking to take an important point in third place when they were each passed by a late surge from the Bandit who had been lying last.

But there was a big finish for the Comets with 5-1s in heats 13 and 15, both from Vissing and Troy Batchelor who were Workington’s best on the night.

The 5-1 that never was, Tate Zischke outside Antti Vuolas leading in third heat before the race was stopped. Picture: Dave Payne

Vissing, a former Berwick rider, was always Workington’s most eye-catching rider and he had four wins and a third, missing the gate on his other start.

Batchelor had one exclusion for a tapes offence but picked up points in his other five starts, while the Comets’ other winner was Sam McGurk in the reserves race.

Troy Batchelor ahead of Berwick’s Bastion Borke. Picture: Dave Payne

Workington’s Northside track will provide a different challenge to the riders, of both teams, when they meet for the second leg tomorrow, Sunday March 31 (3pm).