Berwick Bullets angry as 'poor decision' costs them decider chance against Workington Comets

Berwick Bullets' Jamie Halder leads Elliot Kelly of Workington Comets. Picture: Dave Payne

Jamie Halder and Connor Coles both worked through the night to rebuild engines which had blown during the 38-48 loss to Workington Comets at Shielfield Park the previous night.

They, along with another fine performance from Danny Phillips and skipper Greg Blair looked set to force a last heat decider to an eventful afternoon at Northside.

In the end those hopes disappeared when referee Michael Breckon excluded Blair in a controversial heat 13.

The official further angered Berwick by awarding the race to Connor Bailey even though the Workington number one was trailing Coles when the crash occurred.

Heat 13 was a typically tumultuous affair on an afternoon which began with a delay of over 50 minutes while another big crowd and the riders waited for the medical cover to arrive, the meeting ambulance getting caught up in congestion caused by a traffic accident.

Halder, who celebrated his 24th birthday on Sunday, and his father had worked through the night to rebuild an engine blown to smithereens at Shielfield and that hard work was rewarded as the birthday boy joined Phillips for a heat three 5-1 which levelled the scores.

Blair’s heat nine victory and the 4-2 awarded to Berwick after Sam McGurk’s fall while second gave the visiting fans a glimmer of hope.

Phillips beat Bailey to the first turn in 10 only for the home number one to roar past and the Bullets were sharp out of the gate again in 11, Coles – another burning the midnight oil in his workshop on Saturday – holding on for the win, but Kelly forced his way past Mason Watson for second.

Blair’s controversial exclusion snuffed out Berwick’s hopes and Workington Comets won 50-40.

Speaking after the meeting, Bullets’ team manager Kevin Little said: “Danny Phillips has been the standout rider in the two meetings and I thought that he might have done enough to give us a chance of at least setting up a last heat decider.

“That ended in heat 13 when Greg was excluded despite being left with no option but to get off the bike in a hurry after Connor Bailey went in hard.

“That was a poor decision.”