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Workington Comets v Glasgow Tigers
Premier Trophy (Group), 12 March 2005
Derwent Park, Workington

Workington 47
1Carl Stonehewer32331 ..120
2Kevin Little11*2*0. ..42
3Scott RobsonX121. ..40
4Kauko Nieminen3R1*1. ..51
5Shaun TaceyFx.... ..00
6Tony Dart12000 ..30
7James Wright31333 33190
Glasgow 43
1George Stancl2321*. ..81
2Matthew Wethers02*01*. ..32
3Jamie Birkinshaw1*2*1*2. ..63
4Paul Bentley23220 ..90
5Shane Parker33322 ..130
6(g)Gary Beaton010.. ..10
7Trent Leverington20100 ..30

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

This was a match of high drama at Workington where Glasgow having led for a large part of the match eventually succumbed to the high powered scoring of James Wright (paid 19 from 7) and Carl Stonehewer. Workington suffered a bad blow in heat 4 when Shaun Tacey fell chasing Shane Parker and had to be taken to hospital. This left the Comets with the crucial number 5 spot to fill thereafter with only the reserves eligible.

Workington took the lead in heat 1 when Carl Stonehewer beat George Stancl while Matthew Wethers fell gifting a point to Kevin Little. The Comets went further ahead with another 4-2 in heat two won by James Wright. Kauko Nieminen kept it that way after Scott Robson had been excluded before Workington’s injury curse struck again. Shaun Tacey fell heavily chasing Shane Parker and was taken by ambulance to hospital. There was then a delay until ambulance cover could be resumed. In the rerun Parker beat Tony Dart with Gary Beaton in third place reducing Workington’s lead to two point at 13-11. A Scott Robson engine failure in heat 5 contributed to Workington’s woes as they conceded a 1-5 to George Stancl and Matthew Wethers and Glasgow were in front at 14-16. Shane Parker won heat 6 from Carl Stonehewer before Glasgow went further ahead in Heat 7. James Wright came in for the injured Shaun Tacey but was headed home by Paul Bentley and James Birkinshaw for another Glasgow 1-5 which took the score to 18-24 and Workington were in big trouble. However in heat 8 the Comets got back into the match with a 5-1 from James Wright and Kevin Little. The score was now 23-25 and Heats 9, 10 and 11 were all shared with Carl Stonehewer executing a fine pass on Paul Bentley on the last lap of heat 10 and James Wright doing likewise to George Stancl in heat 11 to keep Workington in the hunt.

In Heat 12 Workington were back on level terms thanks to another win from James Wright this time from James Birkinshaw and Scott Robson and a Carl Stonehewer win over Glasgow’s big two of Parker and Stancl meant it was all to play for in the last two heats. Ominously for Glasgow James Wright had only had five rides up till then and looked a certainty to appear in heats 14 and 15. And so he did. He won heat 14 with Nieminen third to put the Comets two points in front with heat 15 to come. Then in heat 15 he headed home Shane Parker and Carl Stonehewer to give the Comets a four point victory which had looked decidedly unlikely earlier on.

Match Report by Merlin