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Workington Comets v Berwick Bandits
Premier League, 29 August 2005
Derwent Park, Workington

Workington 59
1(g)Magnus Zetterstrom3331*2* ..122
2Shaun Tacey0F3.. ..30
3Scott Robson3103. ..70
4Kauko Nieminen2*332*3 ..132
5James Wright3332. ..110
6(g)Scott James100.. ..10
7Tomasz Piszcz32*2*11 3.122
Berwick 33
1Adrian Rymel224^31 ..120
2(g)Tony Atkin1*1R11* ..42
4Adam Pietraszko01*Fx0. ..11
5Michal Makovsky12220 0.70
6Chris Schramm21*1*21 ..72
7Carl WilkinsonF020^0 ..20

* = BP. ^ = TR . ! = TS (15m Handicap). # = TR (Points Not Doubled). & = TS (Points Not Doubled, 15m Handicap).

In this match which was seen as one of the key matches in deciding the championship Workington had Magnus Zetterstrom as a guest at number 1 in place of Carl Stonehewer. Berwick were using R/R at number 3 for Tom P Madsen and had Tony Atkin at number 2 as a guest for Scott Smith.

After sharing the opening heat won by Magnus Zetterstrom, Berwick lost two 5-1s and two 4-2s over the next four heats to leave themselves with the proverbial mountain to climb and with the bonus in jeopardy. They had still to provide a race winner but at least they stopped the rot in heat 6 again won by Zetterstrom but with the Bandits taking the minor places for a shared heat. Heat 7 won by James Wright was also shared but Berwick suffered a disaster in heat 8. Carl Wilkinson took a TR but it was the Comets in the shape of Tacey and Piszcz who led from the start. Wilkinson fell on the third lap while third and, although he remounted, Tony Atkin, his partner, was too far ahead to slow down enough to allow Wilkinson through for the extra point. The 5-1 to Workington took the score after eight heats to 32-16 with Berwick’s aggregate lead now down to 2 points.

In heat 9 Workington made it nine race winners from 9 heats but the heat was shared as Makovsky and Schramm followed him home. Magnus Zetterstrom won heat 10 but at the back Pietraszko and Piszcz clashed going into the third lap. Both riders fell and the referee excluded Pietraszko so the heat result was a 4-2 to Workington which wiped out Berwick’s aggregate lead. In heat 11 Adrian Rymel took a TR and things looked good for Berwick when he and Tony Atkin sat on a 1-8 ahead of James Wright. However Rymel hit a rut and James Wright seized the opportunity to pass both Berwick riders for a 3-5 to the visitors. In heat 12 Schramm and Wilkinson were on a 1-5 but Scott Robson passed them both with Piszcz also getting past Wilkinson for a Comets’ 4-2 to tie the aggregate score again. This took the score after twelve heats to 46-28.

Adrian Rymel and Michal Makovsky led heat 13 but James Wright went hard inside Makovsky to move into second place and Zetterstrom followed suit to share the heat. In heat 14 Berwick’s prospects for the bonus point took a nosedive as they lost a 5-1 to Piszcz and Nieminen leaving them four points adrift and needing a 1-5 in the last heat even for a race-off. Although Adrian Rymel led the last race, Kauko Nieminen and Magnus Zetterstrom both passed him for a closing 5-1 to the Comets confirming the bonus point for them.

Match Report by Merlin