It was very much damage limitation for the Workington Comets last night at Redcar Bears when they went into action without skipper Craig Cook and Claus Vissing.
That they finished only 10 points in arrears – 50-40 – will encourage hopes that they can turn things round and win the aggregate point in the return at Northside this afternoon.
It took a magnificent performance from Troy Batchelor (18 + 1) and guest Jordan Jenkins (13) to keep them in contention on the night, and also in with a shout for the extra point.
Batchelor had five wins in his seven rides, augmented by a second and a third while Workington’s other two heat wins came from Jenkins, who was never out of the points in his six outings.
Those victories were accompanied by three seconds and a third, and he was certainly a shrewd guest recruit as he had been Redcar’s rider of the year in 2022.
The Comets had to use rider replacement for number one Cook who had to miss out when his partner went into labour.
It only yielded five points – three of those accumulated by Batchelor when he roared to victory in the opening heat of the night.
An unusually quiet night from Antti Vuolas – he had five third places – wasn’t, perhaps, what might have been expected from the talented Finn, who has been riding in the Premiership with Belle Vue and doing well.
New reserve signing Paul Starke had three third places from five rides but Sam McGurk struggled again, falling in his first outing and failing to earn a point in his subsequent two races.
That left Ace Pijper, the former Comet who rode in the National Development League last season, but he had a tough task at number two and managed only one third in the third of his four races.
Former Comet Charles Wright (10) and fellow heat leader Danny King (11) were the main scorers for Redcar who would have been looking to score a more decisive win when they saw the make-up of the Workington septet.
But most heat wins came down at reserve where Jake Mulford racked-up three race victories, along with a retirement and two lasts.
Redcar Bears 50
Charles Wright 10; Danyon Hume 4+2; Dan Gilkes 6+2; Jason Edwards 8+1; Danny King 11+1; Ben Trigger 2+1;Jake Mulford 9.
Workington Comets 40
1. Craig Cook (R/R); Ace Pijper 1;Antti Vuolas 5+2; Jordan Jenkins 13; Troy Batchelor 18+1; Sam McGurk 0; Paul Starke 3.
