Speedway: Crocked Comets hit

Published on Friday 20 August 2010 14:55

Workington Comets were telling anyone who would listen just how hard it was going to be for them to defeat table-topping Edinburgh Monarchs becauseof the injuries they were carrying.

Who were they kidding? The Comets brushed aside Monarchs 51-42 at their Derwent Park home and became only the third side this season to inflict a Premier League defeat on the Capital speedway outfit.

Workington also fired a warning shot over Monarchs bows ahead of their KO Cup semi-final meetings later in the season. The home side used rider replacement for their missing Dane Peter Kildemand but were perceived to be particularly weak at reserve with Richard Lawson sidelined. Monarchs had hoped to capitalise on this, feeling their own tail-end ace William Lawson would mop in this department. But the exact opposite happened; the Auchterarder rider could only muster two measly points from six outings and with partner Arlo Bugeja collecting just one point, the Comets' worries about winning the reserve battle proved unfounded as their pair Kenny Ingalls and National League guest Steven Worrall amassed ten points between them.

Monarchs will feel aggrieved that a rider of Lawson's experience should fail so miserably.

When they re-signed him recently they were accused by some of "buying the league" as slotting Lawson in at reserve was considered a masterstroke.

Metaphorically it now looks like money down the drain. Workington raced into a commanding 29-19 lead after just eight races prompting Monarchs to hand Andrew Tully a tactical ride in the next race, but he clattered into the fence trying to repass Andre Compton and withdrew from the meeting.

Ryan Fisher who was Monarchs' star performer with 17 points, was also handed a tactical outing in heat 11 and he defeated Chris Schramm and Worrall. With skipper Matthew Wethers claiming third spot, Monarchs clinched a 7-2 advantage but it was too little too late.

Kevin Wolbert also earned pass marks for Monarchs and was unfairly excluded in heat 15 for allegedly bringing down Compton, despite the general feeling that there had been no contact between the two men. Compton, who hasn't been able to buy a win at home, reeled off three on the bounce early on and his 14-point tally was priceless in tandem with teammate Rusty Harrison who picked up 13.

The one consolation for Monarchs was that their only challengers for the crown, Newcastle Diamonds, were hammered 61-32 at Berwick Bandits. However, Monarchs whose next stop is a visit to Somerset Rebels on Wednesday, must now hold their nerve and also coax more out of Lawson.

Workington: Compton 14, Harrison 13, Schramm 9, Ingalls 9, Cook 5, Worrall 1.

Monarchs: Fisher 17, Wolbert 8, Katajisto 6, Wethers 4, Tully 4, Lawson 2, Bugeja 1.