Workington Comets were left red-faced as they meekly surrendered a six-point lead to lose 50-40 at Plymouth on Friday.

What had looked like Comets’ best away performance of the season and their first league points on the road was flipped on its head as the visitors never recovered from three consecutive Devils’ 5-1s in the second half of the meeting.

A steady start in the opening heat almost slipped away as Kyle Howarth just about held on to second behind Morton Risager after Kyle Newman passed Rusty Harrison.

Matt Bates wriggled past Matt Williamson on the opening lap of heat one but couldn’t gain ground on Matthew Wethers behind Sam Simota.

Comets exploded out of the gate in heat three but couldn’t shake off their rivals and when Kenneth Hansen drifted to the fence on the second lap, the Devils seized their chance and snatched a draw.

Another good start for the Comets saw them clinch their first heat advantage of the night, though Newman made his way past Wethers behind Ricky Wells to limit the visitors to a 4-2.

The west Cumbrians showed they meant business as they took the lead after five heats with a dominant 5-1, Howarth and Harrison leading from gate to flag.

They defended their slim lead in heat six as Wells notched his second win of the night but Wethers finished at the back to share the points.

And they added to it with another impressive 5-1 in heat seven, Bach holding off the advances of Newman on the final lap to extend the deficit to six points.

The hosts reacted swiftly with a 5-1 of their own next, Simota sweeping past Williamson on the opening lap to follow Risager home.

Wells made it three wins from three races in heat nine as Comets were awarded a 4-2 when Holder fell while challenging for the lead.

Plymouth hadn’t given up yet and in heat 10 Holder and Risager used all of their guile to keep Bach behind them for another home 5-1 to level the scores at 30-30.

And the stuffing was knocked out of the visitors’ in heat 11 as the Devils clinched another 5-1 in the second rerun, Simota blasting around the outside of Newman and Howarth on the first lap.

A fourth 5-1 in five heats in heat 12 left the shell-shocked Comets facing the prospect of leaving empty-handed after a promising start.

Comets were floundering as they looked for a way back into the meeting, with Howarth pipped to the win on the line in heat 13 as he limited the rampant home side to a 4-2.

Wethers survived a hairy moment in the penultimate heat unscathed as he lost control on the third lap, but his side were not so lucky as Plymouth were awarded a 4-2.

And a result that was difficult to take was rounded off with a consolation 4-2 in the final heat, Wells and Howarth leading from the gate until Risager split the pair on the final lap.

Afterewards Comets promoter Steve Whitehead bemoaned his side’s surrender as “typical Workington”.

Whitehead, who was team manager in place of the absent Tony Jackson, gave a frank assessment of his team’s collapse and said: “Plymouth came to the party in the second half and had a reserve who had a really good night while we didn’t ride well enough in the second half.

“Kyle rode well considering his points, Ricky rode well and Rene had some good races but Rusty had a real off night.

“All in all it’s disappointing, we really fancied ourselves for a point tonight and I actually told the boys four points.

“We need to find somewhere to get some away points to challenge for the top six, and for Laura to be honest, but the opportunities for that are getting less and less.

“It’s typical Workington, all of our riders never ride well on the same night. We’re still waiting for that to happen.”

But the disappointed boss said the quality of the Devils’ track had done the visitors no favours.

He said: “The track didn’t help, it was terrible.

“There was no dirt on it whatsoever so it was so slick and there was hardly any passing.”