Workington Comets suffered another disappointing result last night when they lost 58-32 at Scunthorpe Scorpions.
But what appeared to be a disastrous night ended in celebrations from travelling fans as Comets came back from a near impossible position to earn the aggregate point.
It was akin to a boxer being battered and bloodied, getting up off the canvas on the count of nine to then land a ko blow on their opponent.
In this case it didn’t win the match for the Comets but it delivered a precious bonus point.
Troy Batchelor and Antti Vuolas were charged with delivering in heat 16 – and they obliged.
The same Workington pair had scored a 5-1 in heat 15 to ensure a deciding heat was required and they were against the same two Scorpions’ Jake Allen and Steve Worrall in both races.
Back to the boxing analogy and team manager James Denham might have felt like throwing the towel in after eight heats.
Every single one had produced a Scunthorpe advantage – five 5-1s and three 4-2s to lead 37-11.
The win was out of the question, and so too looked the bonus point as the Scorpions had erased the Workington advantage in just eight races.
It finished 58-32, the reverse score to the Northside win by the Comets.
So from that position the Comets deserve great credit that they recovered and eventually won the aggregate point.
Skipper Batchelor and Vuolas were clearly the heroes on the night as both scored 10 + 1 and were involved in the two heats at the end which decided the outcome of the extra point.
Comets also had to cope with an injury to Jye Etheridge, who had to withdraw from the meeting following a nasty fall in his second outing.
Comets only other race winner was reserve Jacob Hook as fellow reserve, Connor Coles struggled and did not score while Fraser Bowes was misfiring and only scored one point.
Tate Zischke picked up points in all his starts (5 from 4) with a second and three thirds.
However, to the travelling Workington fans the fact their side came from so far back to take away a point had them cheering as if they had won the Championship itself.
Most of those will be going on to Plymouth for tonight’s Championship clash when the fitness of Etheridge will have to be assessed.
They are already without Bowes, who is riding in Poland, while Ben Trigger is guesting at reserve for the absent Vinnie Foord.
- Scunthorpe Scorpions 58: Steve Worrall 10; Zaine Kennedy 9+3; Luke Harrison 8; Connor Mountain 6; Jake Allen 11; Declan Kennedy 6+2; Simon Lambert 8+1.
- Workington Comets 32: Troy Batchelor 10+1; Fraser Bowes 1; Tate Zischke 5; Jye Etheridge 0; Antt Vuolas 10+1; Jacob Hook 6; Connor Coles 0.
- On a statistical note in 16 races on the night there was not a single shared heat.
