Last updated 15:11, Wednesday, 04 June 2008

Workington Comets 45 Sheffield Tigers 45: An absorbing Premier League clash finished all-square at Derwent Park as Sheffield won back some lost pride after their recent home defeat to the Comets.

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Joe Haines

League doubles against Sheffield have always been hard to come-by and although the Owlerton victory was one of the best in Comets’ recent history away from home, they couldn’t quite edge the return.

With five heats remaining the Comets enjoyed their biggest advantage of the night – six points – but gradually the Tigers clawed their way into the deficit to draw level in the penultimate race.

A vital league double was still-on for the Comets in the last but Andre Compton got the drop on Kauko Nieminen and Daniel Nermark and kept his lead to the end. The shared points left the two sides locked together and over the 15 heats it was probably a fair result.

The meeting had ebbed and flowed over the opening six heats and on three occasions the Tigers were ahead – 4-2, 10-8 and 13-11, so Workington always had work to do against a determined Sheffield side.

Sheffield had reacted well to the home defeat nine days earlier and battled throughout to make amends to their ravelling group of supporters, who were staying over ton travel on for the second week-end match at Glasgow.

Former Workington announcer Dave Hoggart, now co-promoter at Sheffield, said: “No-one likes losing at home, especially in speedway, and I am pleased with how we have performed. I think we came together as a team at Derwent Park and that’s encouraging.” Both teams had gone into the match without a member of their regular line-up – heat leader Carl Stonehewer for Workington and reserve Sam Martin for the Tigers.

Workington scored seven points from their use of rider replacement for the injured Stoney while Martin’s replacement, Ben Hopwood failed to score in three outings. The only point came when fellow reserve Paul Cooper came in for Hopwood and took third in heat 12.

Both teams experienced bad luck on the night – Sheffield’s Ricky Ashworth fell when the Tigers had a 5-1 advantage and Workington turned-it into a 4-2 for them in the re-run.

Then in heat thirteen Nermark fell at the start of the final lap when he was in charge and a 4-2 for Workington changed into the same score-line but in Sheffield’s favour.

If it was nip and tuck throughout, with some right racing to go with it, there was no doubt about the star of the show – 16-year-old Joe Haines, below, who produced some of the best moments of the meeting with his eye-catching performances.

The young reserve started with two wins and the second one in heat four, when he was in as a replacement for Stonehewer, brought a standing ovation from the fans in the grandstand.

He had battled throughout for the lead with Ben Wilson before finally forcing himself through on the inside on the penultimate turn to forge ahead and win stylishly.

It was Haines again in heat eight who grabbed a vital second place right on the line as referee Paul Carrington has to make his toughest call of the night.

Haines had looked out of it on the final turn but a terrific charge down the home straight saw him fractionally ahead of Joel Parsons on the line.

A fraction later and it would have been a 5-1 to Sheffield, and on such margins are matches won, lost – and of course drawn. But Workington can point to a mechanical problem for skipper Nieminen in heat three.

The Finn was clear and looking comfortable when his bike packed up and the subsequent 5-1 for Sheffield put them back in front.

Tomi Reima, Nieminen’s fellow-countryman who was making his Workington debut, did well – contributing five points from the tough number two berth. He had to feel his way a bit in the opening race of the night and was out of the back as Ashworth beat Nermark and Cooper took third place.

But Reima looked completely at home on his second outing, putting together a powerful second bend to hit the front and with Nermark settling into second place the Comets’ 5-1 gave them a 20-16 lead. The new signing missed out in heat eight when Haines produced his late surge to rescue a point, but he scored again in his final outing.

Brought in as rider replacement for Stonehewer in heat 13 he was booked for third place in a 4-2 situation for Workington when leader Nermark went down. The race was awarded and the Finn’s personal points were doubled – but Workington’s heat advantage was reversed. From some way out it looked as though it could go down to the wire and be all on the last race – which proved to be the case.

Nermark, with only one win to his name, was looking for a powerful start but it was Sheffield skipper Compton who made the gate, held-off Nieminen and the Swede to go on and wrap-up the draw for the Tigers.

Workington Comets: Daniel Nermark 8, Tomi Reima 5, Kauko Nieminen 13, Charles Wright 3, rider replacement for Carl Stonehewer; Joe Haines 14; John Branney 2.

Sheffield Tigers: Ricky Ashworth 7, Joel Parsons 4, Andre Compton 12, Lee Smethills 6, Ben Wilson 8, Ben Hopwood 0, Paul Cooper 8.