Delay ends Bandits’ victory hopes

Workington Comets      48

R.E.D Bandits, powered by STS      42

Berwick had to settle for the aggregate bonus point after they again failed to turn an early advantage into a winning position.

As at Redcar on Friday they went into a last heat decider with an outside chance of taking all three points but couldn’t bring it across the line.

The turning point on Sunday afternoon was a heat nine accident which ended with Tate Zischke on his way to hospital. Nick Morris came in hot on the inside of turn three, the two bikes locked and spat off both riders, Zischke landing heavily on his head and shoulder.

Morris was quickly up and unsurprisingly excluded but his countryman was less fortunate, on-track treatment and then the wait for a county ambulance meaning a long wait during filled with extensive track grading and watering.

And presumably a pep talk for the home side because they came out hot after the delay, back-to-back 5-1s giving the lead for the first time.

Not surprisingly guest Mitchell Cluff had no answer to Kevin Juhl Pedersen or Niklas Holm Jakobsen in the rerun but less predictably Jonas Jeppesen and Vinnie Foord easily accounted for Victor Palovaara and Reid Battye as the Comets doubled down.

From then on – despite an inspired performance from skipper Jye Etheridge – there was no way back as former team-mates Jeppesen and Drew Kemp had too much in the tank along with the impressive Holm Jakobsen.

Tactical sub Peter Kildemand team-rode Palovaara home in heat 12 to cut the gap to just a couple of points but despite Kemp following three race wins with a last in 13 it was still a shared heat as Jeppesen finished ahead of the Berwick pairing.

Likewise when Etheridge won heat 14 having dropped a solitary point – to Kemp – all afternoon the home pairing were able to pack the minor places.

Etheridge and Kildemand were then left trailing in heat 15 as Workington brought victory home. It was a disappointing end to an afternoon which promised so much for the travelling Berwick fans.

They had barely settled before Etheridge and Kildemand gave them something to shout about with a comfortable 5-1 over Jeppesen.

As with the previous evening heat two was eventful with Battye’s progress from outside gate to white line shuffled the dominos, Max Perry clattered into Cluff, knocking both his chains off, and Holm Jakobsen served notice of intent with a heat win.

Palovaara gated well in three but looked to have been passed by Juhl Pedersen only for the Dane to get unwanted grip and clatter into the home straight fence. The Swede was fast off the line again in the rerun only for Zischke to dive bomb him and set up a share of the points.

An untidy start to heat four saw Battye straighten up on the second bend just as Kemp swooped from the outside, clipping his back wheel and hitting the airbags hard. A 4-2 in the rerun levelled the scores, Morris spoiling a home 5-1 with a hard charge inside Perry and was perhaps lucky that the home reserve didn’t hit the deck and force referee Chris Gay to make a decision.

Etheridge was away and gone again in five but behind him a battle between Kildemand and Juhl Pedersen created a gap which Zischke roared through, the Berwick number one suffering a rare last place.

Morris and Cluff briefly held a 5-1 in six before Jeppesen passed the guest rider but even so the 4-2 restored Berwick’s lead.

After a dream Saturday Battye was suffering a trying Sunday, again gating well as Etheridge came round the pack to join him only to rear alarmingly which let first Holm Jakobsen – replacing Foord who failed to beat the two minute allowance – and then Parry past.

Without ever dominating Berwick had found a way to just keep their noses in front.

Then came heat nine.

With four meetings left to race – three at fortress Shielfield – there is still an opportunity to reach the play-offs. But there can be no mis-steps, beginning with the visit of Poole on Saturday.

Comets: Jonas Jeppesen 11, Vinnie Foord 4+2, Kevin Juhl Pedersen 5, Tate Zischke 4, Drew Kemp 11+1, Niklas Holm Jakobsen 9+1, Max Perry 4+1

Bandits: Peter Kildemand 8+2, Jye Etheridge 15, Victor Palovaara 7+1, R/R Jordan Jenkins, Nick Morris 6+1, Mitchell Cluff 3+1, Reid Battye 3+1