Workington Comets defended the Border Trophy with an emphatic 59-33 win over Berwick on Sunday as their play-off hopes faded.

Comets ran the Bandits close in a 50-43 defeat at Shielfield Park on Saturday night before a classy performance at home on Sunday secured the silverware for the hosts.

But the West Cumbrians’ failure to bring any league points home from Berwick means their dream of a first Premier League title must wait until next year, with Comets now unable to obtain the top six finish required for a play-off place.

It was a vintage display from the boys in blue and white on Sunday as Ricky Wells scored his first Premier League maximum and Kenneth Hansen went unbeaten by an opposing rider.

And Wells set his fastest time as a Comet in style in the opening heat, powering round from the gate ahead of his teammate Matty Wethers, while Rohan Tungate and Anders Mellgren could only watch on.

Richard Hall and Fernando Garcia got the better of home duo Ryan Blacklock and Wethers in heat two with a 5-1 of their own, despite a gutsy display from the former.

Hansen shot out of the gate ahead of Bandits guest Ryan Fisher in heat three, while Comets skipper Rene Bach had the Aussie in his sights but couldn’t close the gap as it was settled at 4-2.

Another Australian continued his blistering form in heat four, Wethers leaving Doolan and Howarth behind with a confident ride out front to secure another 4-2 and stretch Comets’ lead to 14-10.

Comets’ dynamic Danes rocketed straight into the lead in heat five, Hansen coolly blasting around the boards with Bach never far behind for another impressive heat maximum ahead of Mellgren and the struggling Tungate.

Wells hit the front early in heat six while Bach was forced out wide by the Bandits pair. The Dane reeled in Hall then set about snaring Doolan, drawing level with the former Comet before sweeping past him on the third lap. The Bandit made one last ambitious play for his place but Bach held on for a third home 5-1.

Fisher donned a black and white helmet for the visitors in heat seven as they looked to get a foot back in the meeting, but Howarth and Wethers had other ideas. The duo stormed out of the gate before Fisher split them coming out of bend two, Wethers piling on the pressure in a tightly-contested 4-4.

Hansen fluffed the start as Wethers got off to a flyer in heat eight, but it didn’t faze Mr Entertainment as he soared around the outside to take the lead. It was all Workington from then on, the away side battling but nowhere near the in-form pair.

And Hansen proved value for money yet again in heat nine, stumbling out of the gate before diving past Doolan on the third bend and passing his teammate Bach for the lead to make it 38-18 to the confident Comets.

A strong away pairing of Doolan and Fisher lined-up in heat 10, but Wells was untroubled in spectacular fashion at the front. Comets guest Blacklock struggled to keep up and tumbled on the first bend, but the plucky youngster climbed back on to follow Wells and the Bandits home to rapturous applause.

Mellgren made a great start in heat 11 while Howarth followed and Blacklock battled Tungate at the back.

Howarth tried a risky move around the outside of the leader but couldn’t make it stick, while Blacklock fell and cleared the track on the final lap for a rare Bandits heat advantage.

Bach and Wethers were first out of the traps but Fisher was tenacious as ever and quickly came up being the leading Dane. It was elbow-to-elbow stuff until Garcia hit the fence while last and couldn’t clear the track, with the race awarded as a home 4-2.

Tungate was first into the opening bend in heat 13 but Wells made light work of the Bandit, while Howarth couldn’t follow him through as the hosts settled for a 4-2.

Hansen hugged the boards after another poor start in heat 14 in what is rapidly becoming a trademark move for the crowd-pleasing Dane. Fisher and Hall trailed by some distance while Blacklock wound up at the back to share the points.

Both Wells and Hansen went into heat 15 unbeaten and it was the American who got the start. Hansen made a tentative attempt at sneaking the win, but in the end was happy to follow his partner home for a Comets 5-1 and a dominant home victory under the lights.

Workington Comets 59

1. Ricky Wells – 3, 3, 3, 3, 3 = 15

2. Rusty Harrison R/R

3. Rene Bach – 1, 2*, 2*, 2*, 3 = 10+3

4. Kenneth Hansen – 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 2* = 17+1

5. Kyle Howarth – 1, 3, 2, 1 = 7

6. Ryan Blacklock – 1, 0, F, 0 = 1

7. Matthew Wethers – 2*, 0, 3, 1, 2*, 1 = 9+2

8. David Morgan

Berwick Bandits 33

1. Rohan Tungate – 1, 0, 1, 2 = 4

2. Anders Mellgren – 0, 1, 0, 1, 3 = 5

3. Ryan Fisher – 2, 4^, 1*, 2, 2, 0 = 11+1

4. Claus Vissing R/R

5. Kevin Doolan – 2, 1, 1, 2, 0, 1 = 7

6. Fernando Garcia – 2*, 0, 0, F = 2+1

7. Richard Hall – 3, 0, 0, 0, 1* = 4+1

8. Liam Carr

HEAT-BY-HEAT

HEAT 1 – Wells, Wethers, Tungate, Mellgren – 63, 5-1

HEAT 2 – Hall, Garcia, Blacklock, Wethers – 64.5, 1-5, 6-6

HEAT 3 – Hansen, Fisher, Bach, Hall – 63.4, 4-2, 10-8

HEAT 4 – Wethers, Doolan, Howarth, Garcia – 64.2, 4-2, 14-10

HEAT 5 – Hansen, Bach, Mellgren, Tungate – 63.2, 5-1, 19-11

HEAT 6 – Wells, Bach, Doolan, Hall – 63.9, 5-1, 24-12

HEAT 7 – Howarth, Fisher (Tactical ride), Wethers, Mellgren – 65.3, 4-4, 28-16

HEAT 8 – Hansen, Wethers, Mellgren, Hall – 65.6, 5-1, 33-17

HEAT 9 – Hansen, Bach, Doolan, Garcia – 65.2, 5-1, 38-18

HEAT 10 – Wells, Doolan, Fisher, Blacklock– 65.2, 3-3, 41-21

HEAT 11 – Mellgren, Howarth, Tungate, Blacklock (Fell) – 66.2, 2-4, 43-25

HEAT 12 – Bach, Fisher, Wethers, Garcia (Fell) – Awarded, 4-2, 47-27

HEAT 13 – Wells, Tungate, Howarth, Doolan – 65.6, 4-2, 51-29

HEAT 14 – Hansen, Fisher, Hall, Blacklock – 65.7, 3-3, 54-32

HEAT 15 – Wells, Hansen, Doolan, Fisher – 65.9, 5-1, 59-33