Last updated at 19:37, Thursday, 17 May 2012

Workington will look to advance to quarter-finals of the Knock Out Cup this weekend against an impressive looking Scunthorpe side.

Scunthorpe have Josh Auty, Tero Aarnio and Michael Palm Toft in their ranks and team manager Tony Jackson has said that Comets will not have it all their own way against the Scorpions.

While Comets are again at full strength Scunthorpe will be missing number one David Howe and will use rider replacement for him tonight and have booked Sheffield’s Josef Franc to guest for them tomorrow at Derwent Park.

Jackson said: “Scunthorpe are quite a good team and they are up there fighting to get into the semi finals of the League Cup.

“It will be two tough matches as they have Josh Auty who scored 18 points in the Elite League on Monday but I would like to think it will be a good battle with some good racing over the two legs.

“We won’t take them lightly and with no disrespect to Edinburgh I think they will be a much tougher proposition.

“It is important that we keep taking one match at a time irrespective of what competition we are in and we will go into every meeting with a positive attitude.”

If Workington do come through against the Scorpions it means they will face Leicester who received a bye through to the quarter finals after their scheduled tie against Newport did not go ahead after the Welsh club folded.

It would mean Comets would come up against former Comets captain Kauko Nieminen and Simon Nielsen.

Jackson added: “We have been in the final of the competition three times but never won it so it would be nice to get that bit of silverware.

“I want to get it done and dusted over the two days and if we get through it will be two extra meetings for us.”

Jackson believes Comets have two advantages in the tie against Scunthorpe – the first being having the second leg at home and also having Gary Irving in the team who is a Scunthorpe track specialist as he rides there in the National League.

Jackson said: “If you are at home in the first leg you are always wondering if you have got enough points in the bag.

“We will be trying to get as many away to make it easier on Saturday. Gary was our secret weapon at Scunthorpe last year and we hope he will be again this season.

“He has done more laps round that track than any other member of the team so we hope he can do the business and that it will work in our favour.”

Meanwhile No1 Rene Bach narrowly missed out on a place in the Danish Championship final on Tuesday night.

Bach finished on nine points from his five rides in the semi final and so was involved in a four man run off for the last place in the final where he unfortunately finished in last place.

Comets’ home match against Berwick has been moved from July 22 to June 4.

First published at 19:21, Thursday, 17 May 2012
Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk