Redcar will bid to turn the tables on Workington when the sides meet in the first leg of their Cab Direct KO Cup quarter-final tie at the ECCO Arena tonight.
The Comets got the better of the Bears in their recent BSN Series clashes, with the Teesside outfit throwing away a significant lead at home.
Bears star Jason Edwards insists they are not far from an improvement in results, and is targeting a lead to take back to Cumbria for the return next weekend.
Edwards said: “Our team manager Jamie (Swales) was saying last week, we aren’t doing too badly and at home, we have been in the lead for 27/30 heats so we just need to sharpen things up at the business end of the meeting and that will stand us in good stead.
“We need to get some race winners, ensure we don’t have any last places and that will make sure we win the meeting.”
Workington were never ahead until after the final heat at Redcar, winning 46-44 and they took control in the last four heats at Northside last Saturday to win 49-41.
Both sides are at full strength with Danny King and Charles Wright in action for the Bears after crashing out of their previous meetings for the club.
Wright, a former Comet, was back in Premiership action last night for Oxford where he scored just four. He had another fall and was excluded, but bounced back to win s fourth and final outing as Oxford edged a thriller 47-43.
The Comets will be unchanged and promoter Andrew Bain said: “Our last results have been excellent, with massive progress showing from all our riders. But for tonight we focus on the knockout cup, and I’m sure the Bears will be reeling at their recent losses, something we need really watch out for.”
The Comets go into the meeting with the confidence of a couple of wins behind them and captain Craig Cook is hoping to carry it on.
He said: “We’re just trying to build and build on our confidence. It’s early days but I can’t praise the team enough, as they are all doing fantastic and there is still more to come from all of us.”
