Workington Comets v Edinburgh Monarchs

The track was damp and most of the heats were decided from the gate, so the main interest lay in the score as we took a match point from Workington.

We were still in with an outside change of a draw or a win going into the last heat, but against Doolan and Topinka it was a fairly tall order to gain a race advantage.

We had four of the first five race winners, and earned the match point mainly through the fightback in heats 11 and 12 which cut the deficit to two points at that stage.

Ryan took the win in heat 1 ahead of Doolan with a smooth ride, but Aaron trailed on a track on which he has a shocking record.

Michal Rajkowski was an easy winner of heat 2 but again we also had the pointless rider with Sean at the back.

The home pair gated in heat 3, the first of four poor starts by Richard Hall, but our guest did manage to pass John Branney with his wide entry and cutback on the top bend. Aaron was rider replacement in this but stopped at the start.

Matthew Wethers looked excellent winning heat 4, another shared heat.

Ryan made another excellent start in heat 5 and was never under much threat from Topinka, but Aaron on Matthew?s bike again trailed.

Doolan beat Wethers in heat 6 and this time Rajkowski?s gating let him down and he was at the back.

We should have shared heat 7 behind Compton but Hall fell on the final turn with no-one else near while holding second place. Rajkowski took second between the Comets.

We left Sean in heat 8 and he almost made it count, staying ahead of Branney for a couple of laps, though it was no great surprise when Branney sailed past. At least Aaron got going at last with a fine first corner sweep to the front.

Having had all of the first 8 last places, we then relegated Comets to the back in each of the next six!

Topinka and Doolan won the next two, then Ryan made it three wins out of three by heading Compton in heat 11 with Aaron picking up the point. Aaron had got going now but it was too late to make a great impact.

Great effort by Rajkowski to sweep ahead in heat 12 and hold off Topinka, though this also served to highlight how poor overtaking chances were. With Hall third we were now just two down.

Heat 13 could have been a problem especially when Doolan and Compton gated. However Doolan swept wide and took Compton right off his line and into the muck, allowing the two Monarchs through for a shared heat.

Heat 14 was now important. Both teams were using their strongest rider replacements and it was Compton who forced his way ahead from Wethers. Lawson held third but Rajkowski swepot round him late in the race. It looked a good pass but after the heat it was noticed that Lawson?s steel show was adrift.

So we needed a 5-1 to win, a 4-2 to draw and a finisher to take a point. Doolan was away with Fisher second and Topinka third so it was clear early on that a point was our limit. Ryan was having to go wide to ride the dirt and Topinka tried a tight line to catch up ? then reared wildly out of the turn and across Ryan?s path just where Ryan would have expected to move into second again.

It happens, but the referees should be prepared to stop heats in these situations. Ryan had to pull right back and he lost a second place.

However we had a point. We were inclined to think that had two full teams been in action we might have done even better.

Workington Comets v Edinburgh Monarchs

After picking up three points from an enthralling clash with a stuffy Berwick Bandits side, the Scotwaste Monarchs head South for what looks a difficult trip to Workington.

Derwent Park hasn?t been the scene of much success for the current Champions over the last few years. Indeed, not since the days of the much maligned Daniel Nermark have we emerged victorious! And, given the current injury situation, it?s highly unlikely that pattern will come to any sort of grinding halt tonight.

Both Thomas H Jonasson and Andrew Tully are missing. In accordance with the 2009 rulebook, with 2 riders missing, we?re entitled to use rider replacement and a guest. However, in an ?interesting? (I could think of a better word!) winter change, the choice as to which facility is used for which absent rider is now at the discretion of the team. This doesn?t make overly much difference to our situation but it does strengthen Workington by quite a distance!

The reason for this is down to the fact they?re missing Adrian Rymel (Czech GP duty) and Charles Wright (injured). Under the old system, they would?ve been forced into using r/r for the higher rider (Rymel) and employing a guest for the lower (Wright). As it is, the Comets have taken advantage of the close season alteration and have turned to Tomas Topinka in their hour of need. There are few better round the Cumbrian circuit than the ultra professional Kings Lynn stalwart. He?s certainly better than his fellow countryman Rymel, that?s for sure!

The r/r facility for the unfortunate young Wright allows an extra ride for all bar Topinka and Kevin Doolan.

In fairness to the Comets, they appear to be tracking something of a walking wounded select! Their meeting at Sheffield on Thursday night was reportedly eventful for all the wrong reasons, with all bar the Legend Doolan taking a tumble or two. The biggest victim of the evening would, of course, appear to be Charles Wright, who was in so much pain he was forced to withdraw from the Under 21 Final at Lakeside last night. Key reserve Richard Lawson also suffered a dislocated shoulder but, amazingly, he plans to race! They breed ?em tough nowadays I tell ya!

John Branney also suffered a heavy spill, while Owlerton expert Andre Compton bit the dust twice en route to a relatively miserable 4 point return.

The absence of Jonasson and Tully removes a huge chunk of the Monarchs? fire power, especially when taking into account Matthew Wethers? awkward crash last night, which led to a rather uncomfortable date with an ice pack... rather him than me!

As I write this, it?s just been announced Richard Hall will cover for THJ both tonight and tomorrow so good luck to him for both meetings and a big thank you for answering our SOS!

Hopefully Hall?s big track expertise will enable Monarchs to put on a reasonable show. Certainly, adding him to the Wethers, Fisher and Summers points scoring potential, things may not be as bad as I first feared! Add in another possible big score from Michal Rajkowski at reserve and I may just have to do a streak if we escape with a win!

No matter what happens, I?m sure tonight will stick in the memory bank for many years to come, regardless of whether it?s for the on track action, the pre meeting fun and games or simply the extra writing and enforced pen and tippex purchases!

As always, may the best team win...

Likely line-ups:

Comets: Kevin Doolan, John Branney, Tomas Topinka, rider replacement for Charles Wright, Andre Compton, Luke Priest, Richard Lawson.

Monarchs: Ryan Fisher, Aaron Summers, Richard Hall, rider replacement for Andrew Tully, Matthew Wethers, Michal Rajkowski, Sean Stoddart.