Comets unable to mount another comeback in defeat to Scunthorpe Scorpions – Times & Star

The Scorpions showed how dangerous they could be at Derwent Park when they snatched a point earlier this season, but Comets failed to heed that warning and found themselves 10 points down at home after seven heats for the second week in a row.

Even 13 points from returning skipper Craig Cook, back at Derwent Park for the first time since his British Grand Prix appearance, was not enough to give Comets a chance. The hosts were given a helping hand as Michael Palm Toft was excluded for missing the two minutes and replaced by Tero Aarnio in the opening heat.

Aarnio gated superbly to lead out of the first bend but Cook ducked inside him on the fourth turn, while Mason Campton got into trouble and slipped to the back in a shared first race.

The visiting No.6 got out in front again in the second heat, winning comfortably ahead of James Sarjeant as Josh Bailey capitalised when home guest Tom Woolley drifted wide for a Scunthorpe 4-2.

Ryan Douglas and Lewis Kerr blasted away from the tapes in heat three but Ty Proctor lined both up and picked them off by the end of the second lap, with Matt Williamson a distant last for another draw.

The visitors stretched their lead to four points as Josh Auty kept Thomas Jorgensen at arms length in heat four and Woolley struggled to keep pace with Bailey.

The away duo left Proctor and Williamson behind in heat five for a 5-1 which put Scunthorpe eight points up and piled the pressure on Cook and Campton to turn the meeting around in heat six.

The race was marred by disruption as Campton was disqualified for not being under power, with Sarjeant drafted in, then it was pulled back for an unsatisfactory start. Cook did the business with an easy win but it was Aarnio and Auty who followed him in second and third to keep the heat on the hosts.

It got worse in heat seven as Kerr battled to the front and Jorgensen couldnt close the gap, with Douglas fourth as Comets trailed by 10.

In a carbon copy of the Glasgow meeting, Campton took a tactical ride as one last throw of the dice for Workington, and he had his work cut out when Sarjeant was excluded for moving at the start and elected not to ride from 15 metres to keep Campton away from gate two.

The Australian got the start of his life and never looked back to wipe three points off the deficit, before Proctor raced to a win ahead of Aarnio and Auty for a draw which didnt really help Comets.

Cook was last to enter the first bend of heat 10 but led after the fourth to win, while Campton capitalised on Douglas falling as Comets pulled back another two points.

Jorgensen produced a performance out of the top drawer to foil Palm Toft at every turn in heat 11, although Sarjeant was last to keep Workington five points down.

A 4-2 thanks to Proctor and Sarjeant gave hope that another remarkable comeback could be on the cards, then heat 13 served up a classic as Cook and Palm Toft were virtually glued together for all four laps but the Comets captain eventually pipped his opposite number, with Jorgensen flying in third to put just one point between the two sides.

Douglas and Aaarnio combined for a 4-2 in heat 14, with Sarjeant splitting the pair, to leave Comets in need of a 5-1 in the final heat but it was the away side who gated on one.

Cook got by Kerr on the second lap but the Scorpion quickly took the place back and that was that as Comets suffered their second home loss in three meetings.

HEAT BY HEAT

Workington Comets 43

1. Craig Cook 3, 3, 3, 3, 1 = 13

2. Mason Campton 0, 6^, 1 = 7

3. Ty Proctor 3, 1, 3, 3, 0 = 10

4. Matt Williamson 0, 0, 0, 0 = 0

5. Thomas Jorgensen 2, 2, 3, 1 = 8

6. James Sarjeant 2, 0, X, 0, 1, 2 = 5

7. Tom Woolley 0, 0, 0 = 0

Scunthorpe Scorpions 50

1. Michael Palm Toft EF, 3, 2, 2, 3 = 10

2. Jake Allen 1*, 2*, 1*, 1* = 5+4

3. Lewis Kerr 1*, 3, 2, 2, 2* = 10+2

4. Ryan Douglas 2, 1, F, 3 = 6

5. Josh Auty 3, 1*, 1*, 0 = 5+2

6. Tero Aarnio 2, 3, 2, 2, 0, 1 = 10

7. Josh Bailey 1, 1, 2 = 4

HEAT BY HEAT

HEAT 1 Cook, Aarnio, Allen, Campton 63.2, 3-3

HEAT 2 Aarnio, Sarjeant, Bailey, Woolley 64.1, 2-4, 5-7

HEAT 3 Proctor, Douglas, Kerr, Williamson 64.1, 3-3, 8-10

HEAT 4 Auty, Jorgensen, Bailey, Woolley 63.6, 2-4, 10-14

HEAT 5 Palm Toft, Allen, Proctor, Williamson 64.5, 1-5, 11-19

HEAT 6 (RERUN X2) Cook, Aarnio, Auty, Sarjeant 63.3, 3-3, 14-22

HEAT 7 Kerr, Jorgensen, Douglas, Woolley 64.4, 2-4, 16-26

HEAT 8 (RERUN) Campton (tactical ride), Bailey, Allen, Sarjeant (excluded) 64.8, 6-3, 22-29

HEAT 9 Proctor, Aarnio, Auty, Williamson 64, 3-3, 25-32

HEAT 10 Cook, Kerr, Campton, Douglas (fell) 64, 4-2, 29-34

HEAT 11 Jorgensen, Palm Toft, Allen, Sarjeant 64.6, 3-3, 32-37

HEAT 12 (RERUN) Proctor, Kerr, Sarjeant, Aarnio 64.8, 4-2, 36-39

HEAT 13 Cook, Palm Toft, Jorgensen, Auty 64.6, 4-2, 40-41

HEAT 14 Douglas, Sarjeant, Aarnio, Williamson 65.8, 2-4, 42-45

HEAT 15 (RERUN) Palm Toft, Kerr, Cook, Proctor 64.5, 1-5, 43-50