Workington reached the Championship play offs when they clinched a win and aggregate point against Plymouth Gladiators,
They won the home leg 54-36 following a 47-43 success in Devon early in the season.
It means the Comets will travel to Poole on Wednesday for the first leg and they will ride the return at Northside next Saturday (Sept 14).
With Craig Cook nursing a damaged shoulder from Thursday fall at Leicester, on-song guest Josh Pickering filled in admirably at number one.
He followed another guest, Simon Lambert, home in the first heat and then picked-up three straight wins for a paid maximum.
Lambert, a former Workington rider, won his third race as qell and a good afternoon’s work at number two brought him nine points and a bonus.
Paco Castagna was the third guest as the Comets were without Cook, Tate Zischke and Claus Vissing, and he had six points from two second places and two thirds.
Overall, though, 26 points from the three guests was a good return for the Comets, especially as two of their regular team members were in double figures.
The admirable Troy Batchelor had three race wins as he finished on 13 and a bonus while young Finnish rider Antti Vuolas won two heats, had an exclusion after a fall, along with two seconds to collect ten and a bonus point.
The reserves were out-scored by their opposite numbers after suffering a 5-1 reversal in the second heat, but Paul Starke went on to collect two second places – one of them from some great riding to hold-off Ben Barker.
Overall, a confident display from the Comets who now have to prepare for the toughest of tests at Poole on Wednesday.
Workington Comets 54 (101)
Josh Pickering 11 + 1; Simon Lambert 9 + 1; Antti Vuolas 10 + 1; Paco Castagna 6 + 1; Troy Batchelor 13 + 1; Sam McGurk 1; Paul Starke 4 + 2.
Plymouth Gladiators 36 (79)
Nico Covatti (RR); Alfie Bowtell 2 + 1; Dan Thompson 15; Joe Thompson 3 + 1; Ben Barker 6; Patrick Baek 4; Jacob Hook 6 + 1
James Wilson stood in as team manager on Saturday for the Comets and he spoke to Cumbria Crack about the win over Plymouth, prospects for the play off semi final against Poole and his thoughts on the season as chairman of the Comets Supporters Club…
