Workington Comets lose out at Edinburgh Monarchs

Workington Comets lost out 49-41 at Edinburgh Monarchs last night in their opening championship fixture of the season.

But going into the last heat they still had a chance of salvaging a point, trailing by just four points.

The Monarchs, however, produced a 5-1 when it mattered as Kye Thomson and Justin Sedgmen held off the best efforts of Troy Batchelor with Tate Zischke out the back.

Comets skipper Batchelor had won three races earlier and finished with 16 and a bonus to be top-scorer on the night.

Jonas Jeppesen won twice in a five-ride 11-point haul while Zischke, although missing out in the last, had two wins in his nine-point six-race tally.

Comets had used rider replacement again for the injured Craig Cook and they yielded seven points but the returning Niklas Holm Jakobsen suffered two retirements and only managed a point, plus bonus, from his final ride.

Workington used two guests at reserve and although Darryl Ritchings never failed to pick up a point in five rides for six and two bonus, Ryan Ingram did not manage to score.

Although they won seven heats, the Comets only managed three heat advantages and Zischke figured in them all – twice with Batchelor and once with Ritchings.

The worst they faced was a 10-point deficit and they had whittled that down to four going into the last, so that will give the management some degree of comfort and optimism for the home leg but that isn’t until July 25.

Of more immediate attention is this afternoon’s meeting at Northside when the Comets host the Plymouth Gladiators.

They also raced in Scotland last night, and lost by the same score 49-41 at Glasgow with former international star Scott Nicholls top-scoring with 16.

Edinburgh Monarchs 49

1. Nick Morris (G) – 2′, 3, 1, 2 = 8+1
2. Jonatan Grahn – 3, 0, 2′, 0 = 5+1 
3. Justin Sedgmen – 2, 3, 2, 3, 2′ = 12+1
4. Paco Castagna – 1′, 1, 1′, 2 = 5+2
5. Kye Thomson – 2, 2, 3, 1′, 3 = 11+1
6. Mitch Cluff – 3, 0, 0 = 3  
7. Jordy Loftus – 1, 1′, 3, F, FX = 5+1

Workington Comets 41

1. Jonas Jeppesen – 1, 3, 2, 2, 3 = 11
2. Niklas Holm Jakobsen – R, 0, R, 1′ = 1+1 
3. Craig Cook R/R – (JJ – 3, TB – 2′, TZ – 2 = 7+1)
4. Tate Zischke – 0, 1, 3, 2, 3, 0 = 9 
5. Troy Batchelor – 3, 2, 3, 3, 2′, 0, 1 = 14+1
6. Darryl Ritchings (G) – 2, 1′, 1, 1′, 1 = 6+2
7. Ryan Ingram (G) – 0, 0, X, 0 = 0