For the second home match in a row Workington Comets went down 51-39, this time to the reigning champions Poole Pirates.
There has been a suggestion that Poole are not as strong as they used to be but they had too much for the Comets, who had beaten them at Northside lasty year.
The Comets managed only five race wins and just four heat maximums, three of which came in the last four heats with the points virtually decided.
Jonas Jeppesen and Tate Zischke managed two wins apiece while the fifth came from skipper Troy Batchelor in heat four after the Pirates had opened with a 4-2 and a 5-1.
Comets were on the backfoot from the start as Poole roared from the blocks with those two heat advantages, the first when their teenage sensation Will Cairns got clear to beat the two respective number ones.
Cairns, just 17, went on to win his first four rides before missing out on any points in the last race of the night.
His 12 points was the highest tally among the Poole riders, but the others were all solid contributions from ex-Comet Richard Lawson on 8 and the rest on 7, 6 or 5.
New signing Drew Kemp could repeat his heroics of Friday at Redcar and could only manage five from his five outings while Zischke (9) fired late in the meeting with two wins after just three points in his previous three rides.
Jeppesen led the way for Workington with three seconds and two wins, again later in the meeting while skipper Troy Batchelor (6) couldn’t match his opening race win.
The Comets were also short of points at reserve where Max Perry (3) and guest Michael Cluff (1) were heavily out-scored by ex Comet Luke Harrison (6) and Kyle Newman (5).
It’s over 56 years since the Comets launched at Derwent Park under the captaincy of Vic Lonsdale – nicknamed Wild Man.
Last night his son Paul was at the track to perform the coin toss with current Comets captain Troy Batchelor and Poole captain Zach Cook.
He also met current machine examiner and former rider Des Wilson, who was also a member of the first-season team.
Workington Comets 39
- Jonas Jeppesen – 2, 2, 2, 3, 3 = 12
- Vinnie Foord – 0, 1′, 2, 0 = 3+1
- Drew Kemp – 1′, 1, 0, 2′, 1 = 5+2
- Tate Zischke – 2, 0, 1, 3, 3 = 9
- Troy Batchelor – 3, 2, 1, 0 = 6
- Mitchell Cluff (G) – 1, 0, 0 = 1
- Max Perry – 0, 2′, 0, 1 = 3+1
Poole Pirates 51
- Richard Lawson – 1, 2′, 2′, 1′, 2 = 8+3
- Will Cairns – 3, 3, 3, 3, 0 = 12
- Lewis Kerr – 3, 1, 3, 0 = 7
- Cooper Rushen – 0, 3, 1, 2 = 6
- Zach Cook – X, 3, 2′, 2 = 7+1
- Luke Harrison (G) – 2′, 0, 3, 1 = 6+1
- Kyle Newman – 3, 1, 1, X = 5
