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Workington Comets v Newport Wasps
Premier League, 07 May 2005
Derwent Park, Workington
| 1 | Carl Stonehewer | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4! | 3 | . | 19 | 0 |
| 3 | Kauko Nieminen | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | R | . | . | 5 | 0 |
| 4 | Scott Robson | 2 | F | . | . | . | . | . | 2 | 0 |
| 5 | Shaun Tacey | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | . | . | 6 | 0 |
| 6 | Kevin Little | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1* | 2* | 1 | 1* | 8 | 3 |
| 7 | Jonathan Bethell | 0 | 1 | 0 | . | . | . | . | 1 | 0 |
| 8(g) | Scott James | 1 | 1 | . | . | . | . | . | 2 | 0 |
| 1 | Michael Coles | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1* | . | . | . | 5 | 1 |
| 2 | Kristian Lund | 0 | 1* | 3 | 1 | . | . | . | 5 | 1 |
| 3 | Mads Korneliussen | 1 | 3 | 1* | 3 | . | . | . | 8 | 1 |
| 4 | Neil Collins | 3 | 2* | 2 | 3 | 1* | . | . | 11 | 2 |
| 5 | Craig Watson | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | . | . | 11 | 0 |
| 6 | Tony Atkin | 3 | 1* | 2* | 2* | 0 | . | . | 8 | 3 |
| 7 | Karlis Ezergailis | 1 | 0 | 0 | . | . | . | . | 1 | 0 |
* = BP. ^ = TR . ! = TS (15m Handicap). # = TR (Points Not Doubled). & = TS (Points Not Doubled, 15m Handicap).
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This result must classify as the shock result of the season so far but it highlights the danger of using Rider Replacement and going with an inexperienced reserve when things go wrong. With Scott Robson being taken to hospital after a fall in heat 5 Workington just couldn’t cope trying to cover all the gaps and succumbed to an excellent performance from Newport . Workington were without Aidan Collins and used Rider Replacement at number 2. They had Jonathan Bethell at number 7 and nominated Scott James as their number 8. Newport were at full strength. To be fair to Newport, Workington weren’t exactly having it all their own way before Robson’s injury. The teams shared 4-2s in the first two heats but Newport took the lead in heat 3 thanks to a 2-4 from Neil Collins and Mads Korneliussen split by Scott Robson. It was all square after heat 4 when Shaun Tacey beat Craig Watson with Jonathathan Bethel heading home Karlis Ezergailis for a Workington 4-2. The turning point came in heat 5 when Scott Robson hit the safety fence while chasing Michael Coles and was taken to hospital for a check-up. The race was awarded to Kauko Nieminen with Robson excluded for a shared heat but it was now backs to the wall for the Comets. Carl Stonehewer won heat 6 but Kevin Little finished at the back behind Craig Watson and Tony Atkin for another shared heat. The depleted Comets side could hardly afford to lose the 1-5 in heat 7 when Mads Korneliussen and Neil Collins beat Kevin Little and Shaun Tacey but worse was to come in heat 8 when Krister Lund and Tony Atkin repeated the dose ahead of Scott James, the Comets’ number 8, who was pressed into action. The score was now 20-28 with the writing clearly on the wall. Watson, then Stonehewer, won the next two heats both of which were shared then there was a ray of hope for the Comets when they took a 5-1 from Tacey and Little in heat 11 from Lund and Coles. Their joy was short-lived though as Mads Korneliussen and Tony Atkin took another 1-5 from Kevin Little with Nieminen retiring with an engine failure. Carl Stonehewer won heat 13 but, with Shaun tacey relegated to the back behind Craig Watson and Michael Coles, Workington were still 8 points down at 35-43 with just two races to go. To have any chance of winning, Workington had to introduce a Tactical Substitute in heat 14 and in came Carl Stonehewer from 15 metres back to partner Kevin Little. Stonehewer got past Atkins and Little but couldn’t catch Neil Collins who wrapped the points up for the Wasps. The 5-3 pulled two points back and a win for Carl Stonehewer in the last heat, with Tacey again last, resulted in a six point win for Newport. Match Report by Merlin |