Workington Comets crashed to a heavy 57-33 defeat at Oxford last night in a Championship fixture.
It meant they also lost the aggregate point as they had travelled south with only a two point advantage from the home leg in May.
Skipper Craig Cook, who had spent a month filling in for an injured Oxford rider, earlier in the season clearly enjoyed his return to the track.
He won five out of his six rides, but unfortunately for the Comets he was the only visiting rider to actually see the chequered flag first in a race.
The Comets included three riders who had never seen the Oxford track before and it wasn’t in the best of conditions, so consequently they all struggled.
Tate Zischke, who has been in stunning form for the Comets, only scored two points from his four rides and flying Finn Antti Vuolas fared little better with three and a bonus points.
The experienced back-up to Cook, the usually dependable Troy Batchelor along with Claus Vissing, whose form has dipped recently, scored in almost every race they contested but couldn’t find a win between them.
At reserve the Comets were heavily out-scored with Ashton Boughen and guest Jody Scott clocking-up 13 points between them while the Comets could only reply with a couple of thirds for Celina Liebmann.
So it was very much down to captain Cook that the Comets scored as many as they did. They managed only one race advantage, a 5-1 in heat nine when the skipper came in as a tactical substitute for Liebmann and he and Batchelor powered to the maximum heat points.
But there wasn’t much else for the Workington side, apart from six shared heats – four of them won by Cook – and the other two when Vissing and Vuolas followed in an Oxford rider.
Workington don’t ride again until Saturday, July 6 when Plymouth Gladiators visit Northside but the Comets have a four-point advantage from the away leg so are in a strong position to collect the aggregate point.
Oxford Cheetahs 57 (101)
Sam Masters 10 + 1; Cameron Heeps 11; Luke Killeen 4 + 1; Jordan Jenkins 9 + 2; Scott Nicholls 10 + 1; Ashton Boughen 7 + 1; Jody Scott 6 + 2.
Workington Comets 33 (79)
Craig Cook 15; Tate Zischke 2; Antti Vuolas 3 + 1; Claus Vissing 5 + 1; Troy Batchelor 6; Celina Liebmann 2; Sam McGurk 0.
