Workington speedway cruise into Knockout Cup semi final
Last updated 13:00, Monday, 06 October 2008
Young Shield: Workington Comets 58 Scunthorpe Scorpions 35 (Agg: 97-86): Patched-up Workington reached the semi-final of the Young Shield as they overcame a 12-point deficit at Derwent Park.
Saturday’s second leg was called off because of a waterlogged track but perfect conditions on Sunday allowed the re-staging to go ahead with no weather alarms.
It was expected to be tough, with Workington having to use the rider replacement facility for injured skipper Kauko Nieminen, but the Comets had pulled back the deficit by the sixth race.
A tactical ride failed to make any inroads for the Scorpions, although a tactical ride yielded a 5-2 for the visitors and with three races left that pulled them back to three behind on aggregate.
But two 5-1’s and a shared heat over the last three races carried Workington through to a comfortable victory and a semi-final place against opponents still to be selected.
Scunthorpe only won one race – when they picked-up that 5-2 thanks to Richard Hall taking third place as a tactical substitute behind team-mate Magnus Karlsson and Joe Haines.
Karlsson, with 11 points, top-scored for the visitors but lacked any real support – in sharp contrast to the Workington side.
With the exception of Charles Wright – who missed one ride because he was out of time, and suffered a mechanical problem in another – the other five riders made notable contributions.
The four programmed replacement rides for skipper Nieminen produced eight points and as the Finn would have been expected to score more than that, the Workington victory margin could have been even more.
There wasn’t much doubt about the star of the show – guest Tomas Topinka who picked-up the J. Edgar and son Rider of the Night award for a six-ride 18 point maximum.
As smooth as always, there were two particularly exciting efforts by the Czech Republic star which had the fans on their feet.
In heat nine he made a sluggish start but was back in touch by the second turn and then he slipped by on the fence to head Carl Wilkinson and Joe Haines, leading them home for a 4-2.
He was at it again in heat ten when he struggled alongside Charles Wright early on when they came together at the first turn but he gradually eased his way into the race and at the start of the second lap he shot round Karlsson and went on to win tidily.
The guest teamed-up with skipper Carl Stonehewer to collect 5-1 heat maximums in heats 13 and heat 14 and register a superb 18-point full house.
Stoney missed out on his first ride but after that collected 11 points (paid 13) and with Haines (11 paid 12) provided good support to Topinka.
Workington were also solid at the bottom end where Tomi Reima and John Branney each scored eight points.
It’s that kind of consistent scoring throughout the order which Workington will need when they contest the Knockout Cup final against Somerset, starting on Saturday in the first leg at Derwent Park.
Workington were looking to peg back the 12-point deficit as soon as possible and they made a positive start with a 4-2 and 5-1 for openers.
Charles Wright went under Hall on the second turn of heat one to grab third and was able to follow Topinka and Emiliano Sanchez through for the 4-2.
Fast gating by Reima and Branney got them nicely away in the reserves race and they were never seriously threat5ened for the 5-1.
Reima was kept busy early on. He took the first replacement ride in heat three but was struggling after a slow start and finished out of the points as Haines just got up on the line to pip Karlsson in a desperately close finish.
But Reima was quickly plunged back into the action when Branney was excluded for being over the time limit and on this occasion he got away like a scalded cat and was always going to win.
But Wilkinson and Byron Bekker were in behind ahead of Stoney to leave the points shared.
Stoney was right out in heat five and showed there were no real problems as he made the gate, got the lead and was never troubled with Haines dropping in behind for the Comets’ second heat maximum.
The 12 point deficit was pulled back in heat six when Topinka and Wright were split by Wilkinson for a 4-2.
Scunthorpe team manager Kenny Smith used his tactical ride in heat seven and Karlsson was never going to catch Stonehewer after the skipper broke well.
The hard-working Reima tried desperately to get ahead of the black and white helmet but finally had to settle for third in a race when the points were split 4-4.
Two successive 4-2 advantages to the Comets gave them a bit more breathing space.
Wright failed the two minute limit and was replaced by Reima in heat eight.
Good, determined riding from Branney won him the race after a good duel with second-placed Sanchez and Reima close up in third.
Then came Topinka’s brilliant effort to come from third to first round the outside and at 36-20 it was looking fairly secure.
Topinka won heat ten from Karlsson and Bergstrom before the lead grew to six points on the night with a 4-2 in heat eleven. Branney and Stonehewer were split by Hall.
The 5-21 from Hall’s tactical substitution gave Scunthorpe their last glimmer of hope in heat 12.
Topinka and Stonehewer were already clear and heading for the 5-1 in heat thirteen when Hall, in third, ploughed into the fence between turns three and four on the last lap. His engine had seized and it looked a bad fall but he was up on his feet after a four minute delay.
Haines actually had the honour of clinching overall victory for the Comets when he led them home in the penultimate race. Reima had led from the gate but he suffered a mechanical failure and ground to a halt before the end of lap one.
Those three points left the final race purely academic but Topinka and Stonehewer rode stylishly together to record the Comets fourth heat maximum of the night.
MATCH FACTS
Workington Comets 58: Tomas Topinka 18; Charles Wright 2; rider replacement for Kauko Nieminen; Joe Haines 11; Carl Stonehewer 11; Tomi Reima 8; John Branney 8.
Scunthorpe Scorpions 35: Richard Hall 4; Emiliano Sanchez 5; Magnus Karlsson 11; Viktor Bergstrom 4; Carl Wilkinson 8; Ben Powell 1; Byron Bekker 2.
