Workington 54 Stoke 36 

STOKE Easy Rider Potters face an uphill battle if they are to make it through to the next round of the Premier League KO Cup after suffering a 54-36 defeat against Workington at Derwent Park last night. 

The Potters took an opening heat five one to lead after just one heat but the Comets replied quickly with maximum heat win in the next two races to lead 11-7 after three heats. Workington extended their lead with a 4-2 in heat six as Taylor Poole suffered an engine failure leaving lone Potter Cory Gathercole to split the Comets pairing.

 The Comets continued to add to the pressure as they extended their lead with two 5-1 heat win in heat seven and eight to open up a fourteen point lead as the Potters trailed 31-17 after eight heats.

 Stoke reduced the deficit to ten points in heat ten as Adam Roynon and Ricky Wells combined for a 5-1 with the Potters still trailing 35-25 after ten heats.

 The Comets replied in emphatic style as they gained four 4-2 heat victories in the final five heats to leave the Potters trailing by eighteen points.

 Potters promoter Dave Tattum was disappointed with the score saying “We’re left with a mountain to climb in the second leg at Loomer Road on Sunday and we will need to get a good start against them to try and claw back some of the points we trail by. It will be a difficult meeting and we need to perform better than we did against Workington the last time they were hear a few weeks back when we managed to gain a hard fought 48-42 win, but we know that will not be good enough tomorrow and we need something special from the team.” 

Workington 54: Craig Cook 18, Richard Lawson 11+1, Chris Schramm 8+1, Rusty Harrison 6+3, Andre Compton 6, John Branney 5+1, Peter Kildermand Rider Replacement

 Stoke 36: Hynek Stichauer 9, Cory Gathercole 7+2, Ricky Wells 6, Adam Roynon 5+1, Lee Smart 5+1, Taylor Poole 4, Klaus Jakobsen Rider Replacement 

The Potters attempt to claw back the eighteen point deficit tonight when they entertain the Comets at Loomer Road with a 6pm start.

 The Potters will be unchanged for the clash while the Comets welcome back Peter Kildermand who missed the first leg due to international commitments.