Workington Comets proved their hunger for silverware with a pair of dominant home wins to reach the Championship Shield final and set-up a Knockout Cup semi-final against Edinburgh.

Comets demolished a weak Newcastle team at Derwent Park on Friday night, winning 61-29 on the night and 111-69 on aggregate before seeing off a much stronger Scunthorpe side on a track which had changed significantly in 24 hours to book their place in the Shield final against either Peterborough or Lakeside.

The hosts had a 10-point advantage from the first leg and were in complete control right from the start against the Diamonds, with Rasmus Jensen’s opening-race blast around the boards in a 5-1 with Nicolai Klindt setting the fastest time of the season.

Comets secured another 5-1 in heat two as Kyle Bickley continued his impressive form with a win ahead of Mason Campton before former Workington riders Ashley Morris and Tero Aarnio shut out guest Aaron Summers behind Rene in heat three for a draw.

Ty Proctor made his return to Derwent Park with a ruthless move on the retiring Stuart Robson to join Campton at the front for a third home 5-1 in four races.

The 5-1s continued to pile-up with three in the next five before a pair of shared heats settled things down, only for Comets to complete the rout with another 5-1, two 4-2s and a 3-3 to end the night with every race winner a home rider.

Victory against the dull Diamonds had been routine but Saturday’s clash with the Scorpions looked set to be tasty, with the two sides level on points after the first leg and a full-strength away side turning up at Derwent Park.

Despite that, Workington seized the initiative and got their noses in front in heat three with a 5-1, although it could easily have been even better had Kyle Bickley not been left to win the second race on his own when Mason Campton’s bike gave up the ghost at the tapes.

Rene Bach and guest Ben Barker gave Comets the lead they needed, with the latter winding up a cracking pass around Jason Garrity for a few laps, but the home side couldn’t build on that in heat four as Proctor retired and Campton’s win could only earn a 3-3.

The away side pulled some points back with a 4-2 in heat five as Bach was excluded when his helmet got tangled up in the tapes then his replacement Campton put his bike in the fence, with Barker only able to split the away duo.

Comets needed a 5-1 to give them some breathing space and they got it as first Klindt, then Jensen, hit the front in heat six.

But Scunthorpe came back again with another 4-2 from Jake Allen and Jason Garrity as Proctor got between them.

Jensen and Campton then pipped the Scunthorpe pair to the first bend in another big 5-1 to restore Workington’s eight-point lead.

Barker and Bach looked like repeating the feat in heat nine until Auty gave it too much and clattered into the fence. The race was re-run without the Scorpion and Phillips was no match for the Comets duo.

Heat 10 was awarded as an away 3-2 as Klindt couldn’t keep Allen at bay after a lightning start before Garrity smashed into the fence on the fourth bend, while Jensen retired.

Proctor did the business in style with a storming ride in heat 11 to pip Worrall, but all eyes were on Bickley who pushed the Scunthorpe ace hard in a 4-2 which put Comets on the verge of their first cup final since 2010.

Two magnificent Comets 5-1s followed to really put the meeting to bed, then Allen and Manzares separated Bach and Bickley in the penultimate heat and Scunthorpe’s No.4 eventually rounded the leading Comet for the win in a Scorpions 4-2.

Bickley was called into heat 15 after Klindt missed the two minutes and although he finished at the back, Barker surged from third to first, swerving inside one and outside the other on the back straight to end a second win in as many days on a high.