And yet things started so brightly for the visitors with the impressive Richard Lawson smashing the track record in the opening heat. Lawson went on to star as the Comets top man but with only Rusty Harrison providing any real back up against a very determined Glasgow team, the points were only ever going to one team.
Lawson managed to squeeze out of the opening bends in heat 1 ahead of Joe Screen and then stormed on to a new track record. What little competitive action there was in the heat was at the back where Michal Rajkowski got the better of James Wright out of bend 2 then held off some half hearted challenges early in the race to hold third.
Heat 2 was extremely one sided with the Workington pairing no match for Theo and Nick who were almost quarter of a lap ahead by the end of the second lap. Theo was to claim the heat win in what was possibly the easiest 5-1 the pairing have recorded so far .
Tomas Topinka gated for Workington in heat 3 but Christian Henry did well to muscle his way to the front out of bend 2. Christian quickly pulled clear with the Workington pairing attempted to team ride to hold off Richard Sweetman who was all over the back of them. Despite a few scary moments when they looked as if they wanted to ride the same line, the visiting pairing were successful and despite a last gasp drive by Sweetman on the outside line round the final bends, Workington held on for the shared heat.
James Grieves gated well in heat 4 with Theo Pijper doing really well to hold second spot by cutting off the inside line where Kildemand was trying to come through. There was a brief wobble on bend three but Theo quickly put some distance in between him and the Comets duo. Kildemand fell on bend 3 and although he remounted he was to retire a lap later.
A superb gate from Richard Lawson in heat 5 saw him lead out of bend 2, a lead that was never realistically challenged. The Tigers pairing settled in to the minor placing's and a spread heat finished as a shared heat.
It was back to the Tigers pairing making the gate in heat 6 and although Kildemand momentarily came through into second spot on the inside, Michal powered down the back straight on the outside of him and reclaimed second spot before the third bend. Joe Screen was quickly well clear but Michal had his work cut out to hold off Kildemand who was pressing him hard. Michal started to pull ahead as they crossed the start finish line a the end of lap 2, Kildemand then pulling up lap 3 bend 2 to leave the Tigers on an easy 5-1.
After a level gate, James Grieves edged his way to the front out of bend 2 in heat 7 with Nick Morris coming through to take over at the front. Nick made a rare error on the 3rd bend and drifted well wide, doing well to avoid the fence on bend 4 but although James came through the inside to lead, Nick managed just to hold on to second spot. Harrison was all over his rear wheel however and made a superb pass on both Tigers on lap three bend two, driving round the outside to go from third to first and pull clear to go on and win the shared heat.
As expected, Workington brought the impressive Richard Lawson out as a tactical ride in heat 8. Tigers were always going to have their work cut out to halt him especially as he was off gate 3 which had at that stage been by far the best gate. Lawson shot from the tapes and recorded the win very comfortably. Michal Rajkowski had been in second but lost control on the third bend of the opening lap, doing well to stay on the bike, sending him to third and he was then passed down the back straight of lap two by Jorgensen. A late charge by Michal to try and re claim third off the final bend was unsuccessful.
Workington may have got back into things but the respite was short lived, Christian and Richard gating well in heat 9 and going on to record a very comfortable 5-1, Kildemand again pulling up on bend 3 of the opening lap and coasting back to the pits.
Joe Screen made an excellent gate in heat 10 with Rusty Harrison just behind him. Michal Rajkowski went wide on the opening bends and edged past Harrison as they entered the back straight. Joe was quickly well clear but Michal was having a difficult time of it with Harrison trying inside and out to find a way through. For three and a half laps Michal did a superb job of anticipating what Harrison would try next and blocking him but the former Tiger managed to get the better of him on the final bend by drifting towards the outside line coming into the bend then as soon as Michal committed to moving wide to block Harrison turned tight into the inside line and just edged ahead of the Raj on the line.
Richard Lawson's hopes of a maximum to go with his new track record came to an end in heat 11 thanks to some impressive defensive riding from Nick Morris combined with good opening bends from James Grieves. Lawson had reacted quickest when the tapes went up but James found the drive off the inside gate to lead into the opening bends. Coming into the back straight, Nick rode a brave line to take him into second place ahead of Lawson but the Workington man did not give up and Nick had to be very sharp. There may not have been passing but it was great speedway between the two as Lawson worked hard to make an opening with Morris working equally hard to defend his position. Lawson pulled level, perhaps even got his nose in front, out of bend two on lap three on the outside line but Nick quickly regained his advantage down the back straight. When Lawson tried the same move on the final lap Nick was ready for it and blocked him beautifully.
Glasgow gated well on a 5-1 in heat 12 but Topinka slid off at the back on the opening bends causing the race to be stopped and was perhaps a little lucky to get an all four back decision. Come the re run, a good gate from Topinka followed by use of the wide outside line on the opening bends saw him win the race although he had to be sharp to hold off the attentions of Theo Pijper, especially at the end of the third lap and the beginning of lap 4. Irving made a good challenge on Henry on the inside line of bend 3 on the opening lap but Christian held and then pulled clear.
With Kildemand having pulled up in his previous three rides and obviously struggling, it was no surprise that he was replaced in heat 15 with Comets guest Thomas Jorgensen and the surprisingly disappointing James Wright lining up against the strong Tiger pairing of Screen and Grieves. Not surprisingly, the result was a very easy 5-1 for the home pairing from the gate, James winning.
Although the points were all already on their way to Ashfield, Workington sensibly still elected to use their second tactical ride in heat 14, no doubt with one eye on their points difference tally. Rusty Harrison was the man trusted with the black and white helmet and he made an excellent gate to lead into the back straight. Sweetman however went wide down the back straight and swept outside him round bends three and four in a superb move then pulled clear. Nick Morris then started his own attack on Harrison, sitting on his back wheel and having a look both inside and outside, measuring up his options before making his move coming down the home straight at the end of lap three on the inside. He powered under Harrison as they entered the opening bend of the final lap then managing to avoid drifting too wide on the apex of the bends and pulling clear out of bend 2 to give Tigers another 5-1.
It was to take a couple of attempts to run heat 15, James Grieves coming down on the opening bend first time round and getting an all four back decision before Tomas Topinka was perhaps a little unlucky to be excluded when he and James Grieves had a slight coming together on the apex of the opening bends on the second attempt. In both cases, Richard Sweetman had made excellent gates and was leading into the back straight. The team spirit in the Glasgow camp was obvious during the wait for heat 15 to come to tapes for the re run with Nick and Theo out checking the gates over for James and Richard as well as some good natured horseplay from the two on centre green with the Tiger to add to the crowds entertainment!
Sweetman again gated well in the re run with James Grieves passed inside Lawson coming out of bend two to settle into second spot. Richard Sweetman was quickly well clear but Richard Lawson was giving it his all in third place and pressing James Grieves hard. Lap 3 there were a couple of occasions on the second and third bends when James did very well to hold off Lawson but on the final bends Lawson, on the outside line, managed to get the drive required to get the edge over James, claiming second spot on the line.
There is no doubt that the result will shock a few because of the size of the victory. Glasgow were on song, every member of the team pulled together, there was some superb riding from the Tigers and it was a good pay day. Some people feel large victories mean little entertainment but that was not the case today. There is no doubt Workington were disappointing, especially James Wright and Peter Kildemand, but a few of their riders were carrying injuries. Lawson was immense and Harrison is perhaps not getting the credit he deserves on the forums as he provided excellent back up and produced some excellent passes. Two riders were never going to be a match for Glasgow's 7 though and the victory was well deserved.
