Workington Comets’ hopes of clinching a record sixth Premier League Fours title were dashed by an early exit at the semi-final stage on Sunday.

The West Cumbrians crashed out of the competition after retirements in their first two heats left them with a mountain to climb.

Wins from Ricky Wells and Kenneth Hansen fuelled hopes of a late surge into the final but they fell just short as Ipswich and Edinburgh advanced from Comets’ group.

But the final of the Peterborough event was abandoned after a horror crash involving Newcastle's Lewis Kerr, who was airlifted to hospital.

Comets suffered a nightmare start as ex-Workington rider Craig Cook made it look easy for Edinburgh ahead of Peterborough’s Michael Palm Toft, who originally joined the West Cumbrians this season before exiting the club before a wheel had turned.

Reserve Hansen was drafted into the opening heat in place of Rusty Harrison, but the in-form Dane retired on the opening lap while pushing for the lead, with Heeps finishing third for Ipswich.

There was even was more frustration as mechanical problems for Kyle Howarth in Comets’ second heat left their chances of reaching the final already looking slim.

It fell on Comets' new No1 Wells to claw them back into the meeting in their third heat.

He did so in slightly fortunate fashion as Justin Sedgmen tumbled on the final bend, allowing the American to slip into the lead and take the chequered flag.

Team GB star Danny King, fresh from a convincing cameo against Workington the previous night, won heat four, with Comets skipper Bach trailing Blackbird to finish third.

Comets were bottom of their group but just two points off second-placed Peterborough at the halfway point, with qualification still a possibility with a strong second half showing.

Bach was out again in heat five, but he couldn’t get the better Manzares or dominant winner Cook, who sealed his second victory of the night in style.

Heat six was re-run after a nasty crash between Covatti and Ostergaard, the latter excluded. Stefan Nielsen replaced the injured Witch, but neither he nor Edinburgh’s Erik Riss could get near Hansen, who dragged Workington back into the mix with three points.

But a win for Edinburgh’s Sedgmen ahead of Heeps and Howarth in the second re-run of heat seven all but ended Comets’ hopes of progressing.

Workington’s early exit was confirmed as King romped to a win in heat eight, Edinburgh’s Wolbert finishing third behind Wells to secure their passage.

Comets will now set their sights on Thursday’s league trip to Ipswich and their campaign for a top six finish and a play-off place.

Team manager Tony Jackson said: “It’s disappointing, we had two retirements in the first two races which didn’t help so we were playing catch up and the track was rough.

“I’d like to think we could have made the final but whether we could have won it with the way some of the teams are stacking up, I think it would have been a tall order.

“That said, you’ve got to be in it to win it and we weren’t in it, but it wasn’t for the lack of trying.”