Workington Comets’ wretched form continued with back-to-back defeats at the weekend, as missing and under-performing riders hampered them again.

Yesterday’s meeting at Scunthorpe did not get under way until just after 7pm as rain forced a lot of track work, and when it did, it started with back-to-back 4-2s for the Scorpions.

Craig Cook started from 15 metres then pulled up in the opening heat, with Mason Campton second, then James Sarjeant split Tero Aarnio and Josh Bailey.

Michael Palm Toft and Ryan Douglas inflicted a 5-1 on Comets in heat three as Ty Proctor fell and Matt Williamson came in third.

Comets were using rider replacement for Thomas Jorgensen and Campton, taking the first ride, managed to get between Josh Auty and Bailey in heat four in another 4-2.

The tactical ride went to the wrong rider in heat five as Campton pulled up at the back wearing the black and white helmet, while Cook won ahead of Palm Toft and Douglas for a 3-3, before Williamson and Sarjeant followed Allen in another.

Auty and Aarnio hit a 5-1 in front of Proctor as Williamson retired from heat seven, then Campton and Sarjeant got the visitors’ first heat advantage of the night with a 4-2.

Heats nine and 10 saw Scunthorpe secure another 5-1 and a 4-2, with Sarjeant picking up three points from the two races, before the meeting was abandoned to condemn Comets to a 39-21 defeat.

On Saturday, Cook and Jorgensen were riding in the Premiership Riders Championship and Comets suffered without them as they slumped to a 54-38 home defeat at the hands of Edinburgh.

The Monarchs have climbed into the play-offs in recent weeks and, led by a maximum from returning former Comets captain Ricky Wells and a paid maximum from Erik Riss, they ruled over the hosts from start to finish.

Forced to use rider replacement at No.1, Comets had solid performances Proctor, Williamson and guest Ulrich Ostergaard, while Campton was inspired with paid 15.

But Sarjeant, fresh from scoring paid 14 for Glasgow at Edinburgh the previous night, could only muster paid two as he destroyed the tapes twice and moved at the start a third time, and courted controversy by removing his helmet on track during one race and showing his middle finger to the grandstand.

SUNDAY

Scunthorpe Scorpions 39

1. Lewis Kerr – 3, R, 1 = 4

2. Jake Allen – 1, 3, 2, 3 = 9

3. Michael Palm Toft – 3, 2, 2* = 7+1

4. Ryan Douglas – 2*, 1*, 3 = 6+2

5. Josh Auty – 3, 3 = 6

6. Tero Aarnio – 3, 2* = 5+1

7. Josh Bailey – 1, 1, 0 = 2

Workington Comets 21

1. Craig Cook – R, 3 = 3

2. Mason Campton – 2, 2, 0^, 3 = 7

3. Ty Proctor – FR, 1 = 1

4. Matt Williamson – 1, 2, R, 0 = 3

5. Thomas Jorgensen R/R

6. James Sarjeant – 2, 1*, 1, 1, 2 = 7+1

7. Paul Bowen – 0, 0, R = 0

Heat-by-heat

HEAT 1 (RERUN) – Kerr, Campton, Allen, Cook (15 metres, retired) – 4-2

HEAT 2 – Aarnio, Sarjeant, Bailey, Bowen – 66.2, 4-2, 8-4

HEAT 3 – Palm Toft, Douglas, Williamson, Proctor (fell retired) – 63, 5-1, 13-5

HEAT 4 – Auty, Campton, Bailey, Bowen – 62.8, 4-2, 17-7

HEAT 5 – Cook, Palm Toft, Douglas, Campton (tactical ride, retired) – 62.5, 3-3, 20-10

HEAT 6 – Allen, Williamson, Sarjeant, Kerr (retired) – 63.8, 3-3, 23-13

HEAT 7 – Auty, Aarnio, Proctor, Williamson (retired) – 62.6, 5-1, 28-14

HEAT 8 – Campton, Allen, Sarjeant, Bailey – 2-4, 30-18

HEAT 9 – Douglas, Palm Toft, Sarjeant, Bowen (retired) – 64.8, 5-1, 35-19

HEAT 10 – Allen, Sarjeant, Kerr, Williamson – 63.6, 4-2, 39-21

MEETING ABANDONED

SATURDAY

Workington Comets 38

1. Craig Cook R/R

2. Mason Campton – 2, 2, 6^, 2, 1*, 1 = 14+1

3. Ulrich Ostergaard – 1*, 2, 2, 2, 2 = 9+1

4. Matt Williamson – 0, 1*, 1*, 1*, 2 = 5+3

5. Ty Proctor – 2, 2, 0, 3, 2, 0 = 9

6. James Sarjeant – R, DQ, 0, 1*, 0 = 1+1

7. Paul Bowen – R, 0, 0 = 0

Edinburgh Monarchs 54

1. Sam Masters – 3, 3, 2, R = 8

2. Josh Pickering – R, 0, 2, 1* = 3+1

3. Ricky Wells – 3, 3, 3, 3, 3 = 15

4. Mark Riss – 1, 1, 1, 3 = 6

5. Erik Riss – 3, 3, 3, 3, 2* = 14+1

6. Max Clegg – 3, 0, 0, 0 = 3

7. Mitchell Davey – 2*, 1, 1*, 1 = 5+2