Workington Comets produced their best home performance of the season to beat Championship title hopefuls Glasgow Tigers.
It finished 56-34 to the home side and provided three points as it handed them a 98-82 aggregate win.
The play-offs might have eluded the Comets but it was still an impressive display against a side still looking to finish the regulation season top of the table.
It wasn’t hard to pinpoint the Comets success as they won 12 of the 15 heats and only ran four lasts.
When a rider with the class and experience of Chris Harris can win only one race in a points tally of eight, it does suggest the opposition might be in trouble.
Kyle Howarth, a former Workington rider, top-scored with nine but it was just bits and pieces from the rest.
By comparison, although skipper and number one Troy Batchelor only managed two seconds, that was the lowest contribution to the cause.
Comets charge was spear-headed by Fraser Bowes (14) and Antti Vuolas (13 + 1) with most support from Jye Etheridge (8) and Jacob Hook (7).
The Comets had gone into the meeting trailing by six from the first leg and in a super-quick start they had erased that after just two heats.
A third successive 5-1 followed in heat three and the team had certainly answered manager James Denham’s call for a quick start to the meeting.
In several meetings the Comets have hit back in the second half of meetings after making slow starts and leaving themselves too much to do.
Not this time as a 4-2 followed and although the Tigers roared in heat five with their own 5-1 it was their only race advantage in the whole meeting.
If Glasgow had expected to travel south and collect three points to go top of the table they were soon aware that wasn’t going to happen.
Perhaps the one disappointment for Comets fans was that Bowes didn’t quite manage a full maximum.
He went into heat fifteen with four straight wins behind him but had to settle for second place behind Howarth to be denied the full house!
The Comets now have just three meetings before the end of the season – Berwick (home and away) and Redcar (away).
So after their two weeks suspension, which also cost them two deducted points, it’s been a hectic catch-up.
Comets team boss James Denham said: “That was the kind of performance I was looking for.
“Every rider dug deep and the way the boys went on the attack from heat one set the tone.
“Beating a strong Glasgow side by that margin at home shows the character and hunger in this team.
“The fans were brilliant as always – they played their part – and I couldn’t be prouder of them all.”
“Fraser and Antti were fantastic, it’s a shame Kyle spoiled their maximums in the last heat but it is what it is and they were on fire all meeting.
“Troy, I feel, deserved more points from his efforts.He rode like a skipper tonight fending off riders and sometimes his team mates could’ve probably helped him out a bit with some team riding but on the whole I was very pleased with how, not only we started the meeting, but put them under constant pressure throughout.
“Even if we weren’t making the gates you could tell our lads wanted it, and I think over the two legs we were the deserved winner of the aggregate point but credit to both sides for putting on a great show.
“We now need to carry on with this form, and although the play-offs are a stretch it’s about finishing the season strongly in our last few meetings.
“We have Berwick home and away next weekend which will be a challenge but if we can get maximum points out of that tie we will be putting pressure on those other play-off chasing sides and who knows what could happen.”
Workington Comets 56 (98)
Troy Batchelor 4+2; Fraser Bowes 14; Tate Zischke 5+1; Jye Etheridge 8; Antti Vuolas 13+1; Jacob Hook 7; Vinnie Foord 5+2.Glasgow Tigers 34 (82)
Chris Harris 8; Jason Edwards 6+1; Dan Thompson 5+1; Leon Flint 5;
Kyle Howarth 9+2; Freddy Hodder 1; Stene Pijper
