Fours heartbreak for Rockets

THERE was Premier League Fours heartbreak for the Rockets at Workington on Saturday.

The Silver Ski Rockets came agonisingly close to reaching the Grand Final of this year's Fours Championship, losing out to Edinburgh for a spot on countback.

Eight semi-final group races had left the two sides locked together on 12 points for the right to join the defending champion Comets in the title decider.

But the Monarchs went through on the basis of having won two races to the Rockets' none.

It was little reward for a battling effort that had seen all four Rye riders finish with three points each from their allotted two starts and without a single last place. Swede Linus Sundstrom set their effort rolling with a pass of the Monarchs' Aaron Summers for second spot in the first heat.

Rockets captain Chris Neath came from the back against David Howe in heat three and Luke Bowen's night will be remembered for a third place ahead of former Elite League star Magnus Karlsson and a second place battle against Workington's Richard Lawson.

It eventually came down to a heat eight, which saw Robert Mear produce a thrilling ride to pass both Scunthorpe's Simon Lambert and Michal Rajkowski from Edinburgh.

Alas for both the Rockets and himself, Rajkowski's third-place point was enough to take the Scottish team through by the narrowest of margins.

Hosts Workington retained their title with a storming Grand Final display that left them nine points clear of runners-up Somerset.

Edinburgh edged out Berwick for third.

Semi-Final 1 (8 races): Berwick 14, Somerset 12, King's Lynn 11, Redcar 11.

Semi-Final 2 (8 races): Workington 18, Edinburgh 12, Rye House 12 (Chris Neath 3, Linus Sundstrom 3, Robert Mear 3, Luke Bowen, Tommy Allen (reserve) dnr), Scunthorpe 6.

Grand Final (12 races): Workington 27, Somerset 18, Edinburgh 14, Berwick 13.