Workington Comets’ inconsistent home form continued as they suffered their fifth defeat of the season at Derwent Park, at the hands of Peterborough.

Rider replacement did not make up for the absence of Thomas Jorgensen, due to a knee injury, and Tom Bacon’s withdrawal from the meeting to hand Simon Lambert three extra rides arguably helped the visitors, who led from start to finish and rarely looked like losing it.

Things had looked more promising when Craig Cook and James Sarjeant combined for a crowd-pleasing 5-1 in the opening heat, with the latter expertly holding off former Comet Charles Wright.

But Comets’ No6 wasn’t quite so impressive in heat two, starting from 15 metres after he destroyed the tapes then being excluded from the rerun as he brought down Bacon on the back straight after passing him, with the Panthers being awarded a 5-1.

The visitors were on a 5-1 in heat three until Ulrich Ostergaard made a hash of the fourth bend to allow Mason Campton into second.

With Bacon withdrawn from the meeting before heat four, Lambert stepped in. Chris Harris and Lambert made the start but Ty Proctor muscled his way between the pair, but disaster struck as he shed a
chain on the second lap to hand Peterborough an easy 5-1.

Comets were then on a 5-1 in heat five until Charles Wright span out on the third bend to pull the race back for a rerun without him.

There was more drama as Bradley Wilson-Dean started from 15 metres after delaying the start and the youngster was unable to catch Campton or Williamson in a Comets 5-1 in the rerun.

Cook was all over the back of Harris for the first three laps of heat six but couldn’t find room for a pass, with Campton third to share the points. Handbags on the first two bends of heat seven between Ostergaard and Proctor saw the former emerge in the lead and the Comet couldn’t trouble him after that in a Peterborough 4-2.

Proctor almost missed the two minutes ahead of heat eight but he made up for it with an emphatic win ahead of Lambert and Wilson-Dean for a 3-3. Williamson was the hero when he pipped Glasgow’s Richard Lawson in heat 13 last weekend and he delivered another stunning win in heat 10, keeping cool under pressure from Harris to reach the flag first in a 3-3.

Comets were dealt a blow in heat 10 as Cook was disqualified for jumping the start and received a 15-metre handicap but the skipper didn’t suffer for it, riding masterfully to sweep past everyone for a special win as the points were shared.

Wright got out in front in heat 11 but Sarjeant and Proctor were happy to leave him to it in a 3-3, before Campton split Starke and Lambert as Sarjeant fell.

A captain’s ride from Cook kept Harris at bay in heat 13 and Proctor saw off Wright for a home 4-2 to put Workington four points behind with two heats to go.

Williamson knew he had to win heat 14 and tried the big blast around Ostergaard on the first bend but the experienced Panther clung on and pulled away to win the meeting with a Peterborough 4-2.

With the meeting already lost, heat 15 was a mere formality but Cook rode to a stylish win anyway, with Ostergaard and Harris steady behind him to share the points.

Yesterday’s meeting at Newcastle was called off late due to a waterlogged track.