By Paul Crute

Last updated at 12:33, Saturday, 27 October 2012

Workington Comets 54 Berwick Bandits 39: Workington Comets’ 54-39 victory over Berwick last night meant that kept their record of going the whole season unbeaten at home.

Kyle Howarth

Workington were always in control of the match from the moment they went 10 points ahead in heat six as Berwick never looked like threatening a comeback.

All Comets riders were paid for at least one win and all impressed in a good, solid all-round team display.

Kyle Howarth top scored with a paid 16 points and he was ably supported by both Richard Lawson and Rene Bach who both hit double figures.

Team manager Tony Jackson said: “It was definitely good to go the whole season unbeaten at home and even though there was nothing riding on the result there was some good, competitive racing.”

The first heat of the night was shared as Lawson was easy out in front of Pijper and although Morris was close to Micky Dyer he couldn’t get past.

The Comets reserve pairing then took a heat maximum over the Bandits, Howarth getting round the outside of everybody on the first two bends while Morris completely missed the gate.

However, he chased down Liam Carr and passed him on the fourth bend of the first lap and then pressured James McBain into a mistake on the the second lap to take second.

Bach gated and won easily in heat three while Robin Aspegren just beat Aarnio into the first bend to take second.

Guest Ricky Wells’ bike died at the start in heat four while Howarth did well to hold off Sebastian Alden for two laps before the Swede’s bike slowed.

Bach missed the gate in heat five and rode wheel to wheel with Pijper for the first two laps before passing him and Dyer in one manoeuvre round the fourth bend of the second lap to win.

A heat maximum followed for Howarth and Lawson as the latter got a flyer from the tapes and was followed into second by Howarth before he was let through by Lawson for the win.

It opened the way for Berwick to take a tactical ride and it was Aspegren who donned the black and white helmet.

David Bellego made the gate but was rounded by Wells on the fourth bend of the first lap while Morris was passed by Aspegren for third on the second lap.

Then Bellego failed to let his partner through on the line for what would have been four points instead of just two.

It meant that Bandits narrowed the gap by only a point before Comets went 31-18 up at the halfway stage when Aarnio and Howarth teamed up for a heat maximum.

Howarth and Dyer raced wheel to wheel round the first lap before Aarnio passed them both on the fourth bend of the first lap before Howarth forced his way into second when he passed Dyer on the second bend of the third lap.

Alden took Berwick’s first victory in heat nine with Aarnio leading until the last lap when he was passed by both Alden and Bach with the Swede taking the victory.

The Berwick pair gated in heat 10 but Lawson passed Bellego on the fourth bend of the first lap and then Howarth went under the Frenchman on the second bend of the third lap but there was no catching Aspegren out in front.

Berwick then decided to take their second tactical ride in heat 11 with Pijper taking the black and white helmet.

Morris got ahead of Pijper coming off the second bend and did a great job to hold the Berwick guest off until the second bend of the last lap when he lost power which let Pijper into second behind Wells.

A fourth successive shared heat followed and it was the fourth time in a row a Berwick rider won. Howarth led from Aspegren before he was passed on the second bend of the third lap before Bach nearly got past but Aspegren managed to hold on for the victory.

Lawson broke the run of Berwick heat winners in 13 as he went under Pijper on the third bend of the first lap while Alden chased down and passed Ricky Wells on the line and although it was a shared heat it guaranteed the Comets victory with the score at 47-34.

Comets then made sure of the maximum three points in heat 14, Aarnio and Morris making the gate and were untroubled throughout the race.

Heat 15 pitted Lawson and Bach against Alden and Aspegren and all four riders went into the second bend together with Aspegren coming out in front while Bach was disqualified for putting both wheels over the white line.

Jackson has already had conversations with new co-promoter Laura Morgan and general manager Steve Whitehead regarding next year’s team. He said: “We all came up with remarkably similar ideas of who we want in the team. We will wait until after the British Speedway Promoters Association conference before approaching anybody but all the riders have expressed an interest in coming back and we would like to keep a few from this year’s team.”

Jackson also confirmed it was unlikely that Kenny Ingalls would race next year as he won’t be able to start physio again until July due to his injuries.

WORKINGTON COMETS 54: Kyle Howarth 13+3, Richard Lawson 12+1, Rene Bach 10, Tero Aarnio 8+1, Ricky Wells 6, Ashley Morris 5+2, Kenny Ingalls R/R

BERWICK BANDITS 39: Robin Aspegren 13+1, Theo Pijper 9+1, Sebastian Alden 8+1, Micky Dyer 4+1, David Bellego 3, James McBain 2+1, Liam Carr 0

First published at 11:59, Saturday, 27 October 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk