Edinburgh Monarchs v Workington Comets

This Friday’s first half of a weekend Premier League double header against Workington Comets is yet another really challenging match against one of the top teams which keep on coming while Monarchs’ problems of putting seven fit riders on the track aren’t getting any easier.

Workington have completed a fair few more matches than Edinburgh which has helped hoist them into second spot. They are a big track side who don’t tend to go well at Armadale but equally the reverse is just as likely to be true for Monarchs at Workington on Saturday.

Craig Cook’s scintillating run of form and inspirational races continues unabated and this week he is pitched against the Comets’ captain, Richard Lawson who in spite of injury setbacks has worked his way up to No.1 in his sixth season of speedway since switching from Moto-Cross at the age of 22.

Edinburgh’s captain, Derek Sneddon, showed last week why Newcastle would love to still have him in their side. He lines up at No.2 opposite the first of three ex-Monarchs, Kyle Howarth from Manchester who is still only 19 and is a rider Monarchs would have liked to hang on to.

Theo Pijper has been incredible, riding through the pain of broken ribs and scoring vital points last weekend. His opposite at No.3 is the entertaining Rusty Harrison from Adelaide who rode for Monarchs in 2005-6 shortly before retiring from the sport on health grounds until making a comeback in 2009.

Unusually, it’s rider replacement versus rider replacement at No.4 because Jozsef Tabaka is out for a while with a foot injury sustained in a crash with former Monarch Daniel Nermark in Hungary, while former Bandit, Tero Aarnio is also out with a foot injury from a crash with former Tiger, Nick Morris.

Claus Vissing is still struggling to show the home fans his best form and he will have to be sharp against Workington’s flying No.5, Rene Bach from Denmark who was such a success with Newcastle before multiple injuries meant he missed most of the 2011 season.

The popular James Sarjeant is drafted in from the new Coventry Storm National League side, which he captains, to replace the injured Mitchell Davey. Opposite him at No.6 is the third former 2010-11 Monarch, Ashley Morris who was replaced in the blue and gold by Kyle Howarth!

Max Fricke has survived having his name pronounced wrongly on Sky TV as he continues his rapid upward progress in his first couple of months of UK speedway. He lines up opposite a much-travelled man of many clubs, none of them Edinburgh, Chris Mills from Essex.

So once again we have two fairly evenly matched sets of riders which probably means that another close contest is in prospect, the outcome of which could be heavily influenced by lady luck. Home advantage should count in Edinburgh’s favour on Friday but once again they’ll need your enthusiastic, vocal support. Tapes up 7.30 sharp.

Likely line-ups:

EDINBURGH SCOTWASTE MONARCHS: Craig Cook, Derek Sneddon (capt.), Theo Pijper, Rider replacement for Jozsef Tabaka, Claus Vissing, James Sarjeant (guest), Max Fricke.

WORKINGTON ‘THOMAS ARMSTRONG' COMETS: Richard Lawson (capt), Kyle Howarth, Rusty Harrison, Rider replacement for Tero Aarnio, Rene Bach, Ashley Morris, Chris Mills.