Team Websites for News and More Detailed Match Reports:
Workington Comets Website (Official)

Live Updates for a Current or Recent match: Live Speedway Updates
Discussion on Matches and Other Speedway Issues: Speedway Forum

Workington Comets v Kings Lynn Stars
Young Shield (QF), 01 October 2005
Derwent Park, Workington

Workington 50
1(g)Garry Stead3330R ..90
3Shaun Tacey2232*3 ..121
4Kauko Nieminen1*T33. ..71
5James Wright13331 ..110
6(g)John Branney100Fx. ..10
7Tomasz Piszcz13310 X2*101
Kings Lynn 42
1Oliver Allen2331*2 2*.132
2Ashley Jones01222 ..70
4Kevin Doolan01*4^1*1 ..72
5Tomas Topinka2211*3 ..91
6(g)Jamie Birkinshaw200.. ..20
7Jan JarosR01*1*2 0.42

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

Workington had Garry Stead at number 1 for the injured Carl Stonehewer and used R/R at number 2 for Scott Robson. John Branney was at number 6 for the Comets. King’s Lynn used R/R for Troy Batchelor at number 3 and had James Birkinshaw at number 6.

The most crucial heat of the night was probably heat 15. The Comets went into this heat leading by 12 points hoping to increase it to 16 for the return leg. However it was King’s Lynn who took the maximum to stand only eight points in arrears to give themselves an excellent chance of progressing to the semi-finals.

Workington opened with two 4-2s as Garry Stead beat Oliver Allen in heat 1 and Tomasz Piszcz won the reserves race for a four point lead. Oliver Allen won heat three for the Stars and a shared heat but they fell further in arrears when Tomasz Piszcz beat Tomas Topinka in heat 4 with James Wright third for a 4-2. This took the score after the opening four heats to 15-9.

In heat 5 Kauko Nieminen was excluded for touching the tapes and was replaced by John Branney. Oliver Allen won the heat for King’s Lynn from Shaun Tacey and King’s Lynn pulled two points back with the 2-4. Garry Stead beat Tomas Topinka in heat 6 with back-up from Tomasz Piszcz for a 4-2 to the Comets to restore their six points lead then James Wright won heat 7 and Shaun Tacey heat 8, both for shared heats and a heat eight score of 27-21.

The first 5-1 of the night came in heat 9 when Nieminen and Tacey headed home Tomas Topinka to stretch the home side’s lead to 10 points but King’s Lynn quickly played a TR card giving the ride to Kevin Doolan in heat 10. This race was rerun after Tomasz Piszcz had brought down Doolan and been excluded. In the rerun it looked briefly as though King’s Lynn might take a 1-8 as Doolan and Jaros led but Garry Stead came from the back to pass both King’s Lynn riders to limit the damage to a 3-5. In heat 11 John Branney fell and was excluded from the rerun. He also withdrew from the meeting as he went off to hospital for a check up. In the rerun Oliver Allen touched the tapes and elected to go from 15 metres back. James Wright won the heat for a share of the points. Workington were now in a spot of bother because they were left with only one reserve, Tomasz Piszcz. Piszcz, who had already had 6 rides, was needed for heat 14 so Workington had to face heat 12 with only one rider – Shaun Tacey. Tacey won the race to take the score after 12 races to 41-33.

In heat 13 things looked bad for the Comets as Oliver Allen and Tomas Topinka looked to be heading for a 1-5. However James Wright came from the back to pass them both. With Garry Stead stuck at the back the race was shared but in heat 14 it looked as though the Comets had struck a timely blow when Kauko Nieminen and Tomasz Piszcz scored a 5-1 ahead of Kevin Doolan. This put the home side 12 points ahead with one heat to go and a chance to add to the lead with James Wright and Garry Stead in heat 15. However it was King’s Lynn who hit back with the big 1-5 from Tomas Topinka and Oliver Allen as Garry Stead suffered an engine failure.

Match Report by Merlin