After a slow start Workington Comets did enough in defeat at Scunthorpe to make progress in the BSN Series.
With a 22-point lead from the home leg Workington were strong favourites to make progress as group winners but after just six heats they were trailing by ten and an aggregate win was in the balance.
An enforced break, caused by a setting sun which posed problems for the riders, proved to be a turning point for after the resumption it was the Comets who forced the pace and contained the Scorpions.
The 49-41 score-line in Scunthorpe’s favour meant that Workington had comfortably gained the aggregate point (97-83) to make the semi-finals.
There was solid scoring from the Comets riders in the body of the side, but short at reserve after Sam McGurk had won the second race as after that both he and guest Luke Killeen drew blanks.
Apart from McGurk’s win in the reserves race the Comets never had a winner in those first six heats when they trailed by ten points but the Scorpions weren’t able to build on that when the meeting resumed.
Claus Vissing and Tate Zischke won the next two heats and in the remaining seven races the Comets gave as good as they got and the Scorpions couldn’t build on their good start to the meeting.
Craig Cook didn’t win a race until his outing in heat thirteen but he still finished as the Comets’ top scorer with 10 and a bonus.
Australian youngster Zischke was the only Comet to win two races and finished with nine points plus a bonus while Antti Vuolas, back from concussion, had a steady meeting with six points from his four rides.
Vissing was the only other winner, which helped him to six and a bonus point while Troy Batchelor had three seconds as he racked-up seven and two bonus.
Workington will now look to beating Glasgow Tigers at Northside (start 3pm) this afternoon after a gritty effort at Ashfield last week saw them only beaten by four points.
Celina Liebmann will be back at reserve in an otherwise unchanged side.
Scunthorpe Scorpions 49 (83)
Kyle Howarth 7, Connor Mountain 6, Simon Lambert 8, Michael Palm Toft 11 + 1, Jake Allen 6, Nathan Ablitt 5, Luke Harrison 6 + 2.
Workington Comets 41 (97)
Craig Cook 10, Tate Zischke 9 + 1, Antti Vuolas 6, Claus Vissing 6 + 1, Troy Batchelor 7 + 2, Luke Killeen 0, Sam McGurk 3.
