Workington versus Berwick - 24-03-08

[admin]

Well, in their first fixture of the new campaign on Saturday the Barbarians came away from the cruel, crazy town with a 44:46 win and three points. But the Bandits pushed them all the way and were unlucky not to take something out of the meeting.
And today see the Bandits travelling across the Pennines into the brutal Barbaric heartlands for the return fixture. How do we think this one will go?
Well, I for one wasn't overly impressed by the Barbarians - there doesn't seem to be much once you look beyond their heat leader trio of Nermark, Nieminen and Stonehewer. But I'd expect that heat leader trio to be too much for the Bandits. However, saying that, I do expect the Bandits to put up another encouraging display.
Workington to win by around 10 points.

[Deleted]

As you say away from the heat-leader trio , there isn't much .
If Berwick can somehow pack in for 3-3s in the races with Stonehewer , Nomark and Neiminen are in with one of the lesser lights , and can take advantage in Ht 8 and Ht 14 - then you just never know .

[admin]

And if Adrian Rymel, in such fine form so far this season, can lower the colours of Messrs Nermark, Stonehewer and Nieminen so much the better for the Bandits. And he's quite capable of doing it - when he got in front on Saturday, he was bloody quick. In fact, almost a full second quicker than anyone else.
But I think it'll be another noble defeat for a very brave Berwick side - I dismissed them as no-hopers, but having seen them for myself, they're filled with determination and effort.

[admin]

And the final result from Derwent Park was a fairly comfortable win for the Comets (53:40), with Stonehewer going through the card for the Comets and Nieminen and Nermark only suffering a single defeat at the hands of a Bandit - 38 of Workington's 53 points came from their top three.
So, quite easy to see where Workington are vulnerable - Hts 2, 8 and 14, with Berwick collecting a 1:8 heat victory in Ht 14 tonight, courtesy of Aarnio and Magosi. And that man Magosi was the star of the show for the Bandits, collecting 15+1 from his seven rides, while Messrs Robertson and McKinna had seven heats between them and couldn't muster a point.