Last updated 12:21, Friday, 25 July 2008

Redcar Bears 47 Workington Comets 43: Workington Comets lost a last race decider at Redcar to drop the important Premier League points.

Joe Haines

They had to contend with the loss of number one Daniel Nermark, who was taken to hospital after a crash in heat eleven.

The Comets lost their star rider with a potentially serious injury so that he missed two rides which could have made the difference.

Nermark hit the safety fence at full speed and there was a 30 minute delay while he was attended to on the track before being taken to hospital.

Doctors are waiting for the results of X-ray examinations but he was conscious and moving all his limbs when he left in the ambulance.

Team manager Ian Thomas said: “It was a really awful-looking crash. Both Daniel and his bike hit the fence at full speed.

“He had won the opening race in a time which equalled the track record and then he came off in his second outing but was able to remount although finishing last.

“The crash came in his third ride so for us to run Redcar so close with our number one only scoring three points tells its own story.

“The lads were magnificent and if we had been able to track a fit Nermark for his last two rides we would have won the match.”

A superb 5-1 from Joe Haines and Charles Wright in the penultimate race of the night had pout Workington level at 42-42. With skipper Kauko Nieminen having won his first four races on the bounce the Comets went into the last race decider more than hopeful of gaining at the very least a draw.

But Nieminen didn’t get away and home favourite Gary Havelock came from last to second and was able to follows home team-mate James Groves for a 5-1 which clinched the match.

There was never more than four points between the two sides and that’s the way it finished. Workington won seven races – four of them by skipper Nieminen.

REDCAR BEARS: Gary Havelock 10; Josh Auty 3; James Grieves 13; Chris Kerr 4; Ty Proctor 9; Benji Compton 2; Arlo Bugeja 6.

WORKINGTON COMETS: Daniel Nermark 3, 2. Rider replacement for Tomi Reima; Kauko Nieminen 12; Joe Haines 8; Carl Stonehewer 9, Charles Wright 10; John Branney 1.