Comets suffered their heaviest defeat since the sport returned to Workington on the road at Foxhall last season and it was another night to forget in Suffolk yesterday.

If Craig Cook was in the clouds after Mondays British title win, he was brought firmly back to Earth when he wound up last from the gate and could only pass his team-mate Mason Campton as the Witches started with a 5-1 through Danny King and Kyle Newman.

It got worse for Comets when James Sarjeant started with a 15-metre handicap for touching the tapes and was excluded from the re-run when he jumped again, leaving the hosts duo to romp to a second 5-1 ahead of Rob Shuttleworth.

Only a late pass from Ty Proctor to split Cameron Heeps and Justin Sedgmen stopped another 5-1 in heat three, before Rory Schlein won ahead of Thomas Jorgensen and Nathan Greaves to put Ipswich 12 points up and leave Comets in a desperate situation.

The captain stepped up to try to drag Comets back into the meeting on a tactical ride but, when bike problems caused him to miss the two minutes, he was forced to start from the back and could only climb to second to share the points.

Another home 5-1 followed as King raced away from Sarjeant and Newman and the latter passed his man on the third lap.

It was Camptons turn to start from 15 metres as he broke the tapes in heat eight and he finished at the back as Newman and Greaves nabbed a fourth Ipswich 5-1.

Yet another tapes offence saw Jorgensen handicapped from the gate in heat nine and Sarjeant could only split Sedgmen and Heeps on his old track to limit the Witches to a 4-2.

Newman and King combined for another 5-1 in heat 10 before an extended interval as paramedics checked over Jorgensen, who was withdrawn from the meeting.

Cook and Campton gave any Comets fans still paying attention something to enjoy at least with a 5-1 in heat 11 and a Comets 4-2 followed in heat 12.

But the damage had long since been done and, although King destroyed the tapes in heat 13, Schlein beat Cook and Sarjeant for a 3-3 before the hosts wrapped up the meeting with a 4-2 and another 5-1 to leave Comets with plenty of food for thought.

Excerpt from:

Workington Comets fall under Ipswich's spell - Times & Star