Workington Comets were on the wrong end again of a last heat decider as they went down 46-44 at Redcar.
A 5-1 in the penultimate heat from Tate Zischke and Drew Kemp had pulled them back to within four points of the Bears, so a heat maximum in the final race would have seen them level.
New boy Kemp won it but Jonas Jeppesen was just squeezed out for second place by former Comet Charles Wright who was returning to the Redcar side after a long absence through injury.
Workington had led early in the meeting when a 5-1 from Kemp and Zischke edged them ahead 10-8 although that was the only time they led.
Indeed after 13 heats they trailed by eight points, so the heat advantages over the last two races almost got them through to a share of the spoils.
Once again, however, the Comets suffered bad luck with an injury. Reserve Niklas Holm Jakobsen fell in the reserves race and was unable to continue.
Max Perry had actually won the race but he could only manage another point from his second ride when he went on to take to the track six times.
Match winner for Redcar was their reserve Jody Scott who had seven rides, had three wins and never failed to pick up a point with 15 to show for his efforts in the end.
Kemp led the Workington score-sheet with 15 plus one bonus, collecting four wins, a second and a third from his efforts.
Jonas Jeppesen with two wins in five rides and a tally of 10 points and a bonus also did well for the Comets.
Workington, in fact had nine heat winners with the unlucky Jakobsen and number two Vinnie Foord the only two not to see the chequered flag first. Yet they could only turn that into heat advantages on four occasions.
There will be fitness checks on Jakobsen before the Comets are back in action tonight at Northside against reigning champions Poole Pirates (6pm).
The Comets know a win would lift them off the foot of the table whilst the Pirates, who have matches in hand, can climb back into the top four.
The home side are without Niklas Holm Jakobsen after a crash at Redcar on Friday with Mitchell Cluff coming in to guest, whilst Luke Harrison stands in for the injured Fraser Bowes for the Pirates.
Comets promoter Andrew Bain said: “Poole have an incredibly strong team again this season, which is probably made even stronger today with former Comet Luke Harrison guesting for them at reserve.
“I expect him to do well on a track he knows, especially being at reserve, while youngsters Cooper Rushen and Will Cairns are both flying at the moment.
“The play-offs are still doable; there are lot of meetings still to go, but we definitely need to pick up some wins and aggregate points.”
Redcar Bears 46
- Charles Wright – 3, 3, 1′, 3, 2 = 12+1
- Simon Lambert – X, 1, 2′ = 3+1WITHDRAWN
- Jake Mulford – 0, 2, 1′, 2′, 0 = 5+2
- Jason Edwards – 1, 1′, 2, 0 = 4+1
- Jake Allen – 2′, 1, 2, 0 = 5+1
- Ace Pijper – 1′, 0, 1′ = 2+2
- Jody Scott – 1, 2, 3, 3, 2, 3, 1 = 15
Workington Comets 44
- Jonas Jeppesen – 2, 3, 3, 1′, 1 = 10+1
- Vinnie Foord – R, 1, R = 1
- Drew Kemp – 3, 3, 3, 1, 2′, 3 = 15+1
- Tate Zischke – 2′, 2′, 0, 3 = 7+2
- Troy Batchelor – R, 2, 3, 2 = 7
- Niklas Holm Jakobsen – FX = 0WITHDRAWN
- Max Perry – 3, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0 = 4
