Edinburgh Monarchs
Sam Masters 12+1 (5)
Glasgow Tigers
Richard Lawson 12 (5)
League Cup
46
43
Friday 6th May 2016
Armadale Stadium
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Edinburgh Monarchs
Team Manager: Alex Harkess
46
1. Sam Masters 3 2* 3 1 3 12 1
2. Erik Riss 1 3 3 2* 0 9 1
3. Kevin Wölbert 2 2 3 3 10 0
4. Jye Etheridge 0 0 0 2 2 0
5. Ryan Fisher 2 1 2 3 8 0
6. Max Clegg 3 0 0 0 R 3 0
7. Ryan Blacklock 2* 0 0 2 1
Glasgow Tigers
Team Manager: Stewart Dickson
43
1. Richard Lawson 2 3 3 2 2 12 0
2. Nike Lunna 0 1 2 1 4 0
3. Richie Worrall 3 3 1 2 1* 10 1
4. Ben Barker 1 2* FD 3 6 1
5. Aaron Summers 3 1 2 0 6 0
6. Fernando Garcia F 0 1* 1* 1 3 2
7. Danny Ayres R 1 1* 2 1
Heat 1
Time: 54.o8
1. Sam Masters  
3
2. Erik Riss  
1
1. Richard Lawson  
2
2. Nike Lunna  
0
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
4
4
Away
2
2
Heat 2
Time: 57.4
6. Max Clegg  
3
7. Ryan Blacklock  
2*
6. Fernando Garcia  
X
7. Danny Ayres  
R
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
5
9
Away
0
2
Heat 3
Time: 55.2
3. Kevin Wölbert  
2
4. Jye Etheridge  
0
3. Richie Worrall  
3
4. Ben Barker  
1
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
2
11
Away
4
6
Heat 4
Time: 55.8
5. Ryan Fisher  
2
7. Ryan Blacklock  
0
5. Aaron Summers  
3
7. Danny Ayres  
1
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
2
13
Away
4
10
Heat 5
Time: 55.3
3. Kevin Wölbert  
2
4. Jye Etheridge  
0
1. Richard Lawson  
3
2. Nike Lunna  
1
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
2
15
Away
4
14
Heat 6
Time: 55.9
1. Sam Masters  
2*
2. Erik Riss  
3
5. Aaron Summers  
1
6. Fernando Garcia  
0
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
5
20
Away
1
15
Heat 7
Time: 56.5
5. Ryan Fisher  
1
6. Max Clegg  
7. Ryan Blacklock
0
3. Richie Worrall  
3
4. Ben Barker  
2*
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
1
21
Away
5
20
Heat 8
Time: 56.3
2. Erik Riss  
3
7. Ryan Blacklock  
6. Max Clegg
0
2. Nike Lunna  
2
7. Danny Ayres  
6. Fernando Garcia
1*
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
3
24
Away
3
23
Heat 9
Time: 55.1
3. Kevin Wölbert  
3
4. Jye Etheridge  
0
5. Aaron Summers  
2
6. Fernando Garcia  
7. Danny Ayres
1*
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
3
27
Away
3
26
Heat 10
Time: Awarded
1. Sam Masters  
3
2. Erik Riss  
2*
3. Richie Worrall  
1
4. Ben Barker  
0
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
5
32
Away
1
27
Heat 11
Time: 56.8
5. Ryan Fisher  
2
6. Max Clegg  
0
1. Richard Lawson  
3
2. Nike Lunna  
1
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
2
34
Away
4
31
Heat 12
Time: 56.2
3. Kevin Wölbert  
3
7. Ryan Blacklock  
6. Max Clegg
0
3. Richie Worrall  
2
6. Fernando Garcia  
1*
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
3
37
Away
3
34
Heat 13
Time: 57.3
1. Sam Masters  
1
5. Ryan Fisher  
3
1. Richard Lawson  
2
5. Aaron Summers  
0
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
4
41
Away
2
36
Heat 14
Time: 59.1
4. Jye Etheridge  
2
6. Max Clegg  
X
4. Ben Barker  
3
7. Danny Ayres  
6. Fernando Garcia
1
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
2
43
Away
4
40
Heat 15
Time: 56.7
1. Sam Masters  
3
2. Erik Riss  
0
1. Richard Lawson  
2
3. Richie Worrall  
1*
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
3
46
Away
3
43

The Border Roofing Monarchs showed a good deal of tenacity to win tonight’s Scottish Derby 46-43, having led all the way from heat one.

We had to work very, very hard against a powerful, well-organised and determined Glasgow team. They’re good and they know it, but on the night they weren’t quite good enough.

It was the kind of derby you want to see, nip and tuck all the way, all the riders committed to the contest and all making contributions.

We opened with a 4-2 from Sam Masters and Erik Riss, and took a 5-0 in heat 2 which was clearly an important race. Max Clegg had cut up the inside to lead, Danny Ayres packed up and later in the race Fernando Garcia fell, which allowed Ryan Blacklock into second. So it was 9-2 after two heats!

That was as far ahead as we got. The next three heats were all 4-2 advantages to Glasgow, With Richie Worrall, Aaron Summers and Richard Lawson winning the heats. Blacklock should have had another point in heat 4 but fell with third place in his grasp.

We also lost a point in heat 5 when Nike Lunna passed Jye Etheridge in a good scrap for third.

However when the scores get tight, we wheel out the Masters-Riss pairing, and in heat 6 they headed Aaron Summers. Erik pulled off a really powerful wide run on the opening lap to go ahead and Sam covered his back.

Right away we conceded a 5-1 to the top Tigers’ pair even though Ryan Fisher had held second at one stage. He lifted and brushed the fence, allowing Barker past.

Erik had to ride a strong first lap again in heat 8 to go round Lunna, but Max Clegg was a fair way behind Garcia. We were just one ahead, and held that when Kevin Wolbert took an important win over Summers.

Heat 10 was a big one as the two top pairs came out, and what a first turn it was by Sam to take Richie Worrall wide, with Erik storming up the middle to restore that 5-point gap. Ben Barker flopped off against the fence at the end of lap two, possibly trying to get a rerun for his partner, but thankfully the ref gave him no joy there.

A side issue was that Richie Worrall was being pulled back for jumped starts, but not being warned, which isn’t the usual practise. However if we weren’t completely happy about that, we were probably fortunate in heat 11. Max Clegg did make a good start from the outside but Ryan Fisher got a shocker, and then fell when he reached the first corner. It was declared an unsatisfactory start though it hadn’t looked like one, and Ryan got a second shot at it.

He picked up a second place after passing Lunna, which left us 34-31 ahead.

Wolbert did a great job again to head Worrall in heat 12 but Max Clegg lost the point when Garcia went round him, a disappointment indeed.

Heat 13 was a cracking race. This time Fisher flew round the field at the first corner, a brilliant move, and we watched enthralled as Sam tried to find a line to take Lawson while fending off the attention of Summers. There was no further passing but it was the race of the night.

Etheridge and Garcia came down in heat 14, but it was Max Clegg who was excluded for not being under power (though he clearly was!) In the rerun Jye dusted himself off and rode a very good race to finish second, while Barker tried to slow him down. That left us with a 3-point cushion going in to the last heat.

Sam and Erik took on the responsibility, and it was the captain who made a great start and led all the way. A well-presented meeting, hotly contested, and a deserved home win against excellent opposition – just what we wanted.

So yet again there was only one winner last week and that was the weather. The end of April and we lose a match to snow almost unbelievable!

We go again this week and matches don’t come much tougher as we welcome our nearest and dearest the Glasgow ‘Allied Vehicle’ Tigers in the concluding match of the ‘Border’ group in the League Cup. Much has been written and said about the Tigers (not least by me in two previous previews so I’ll keep this brief) since they announced the septet that they hope will propel them to glory and so far they are living up to their billing as the pre season favourites having already qualified from the aforementioned group into the Semi finals of the League Cup and started their assault on the Premier League with two resounding wins at home over Redcar and Peterborough.

Everyone was aware of how potent the Tigers top four would be this season and the pre-season questions surrounded the bottom three and if they would be able to back up the powerhouse top end. So far these questions have been answered and then some and star of the show for the Tigers has been Fernando Garcia. The young Argentinean is becoming somewhat of a folk hero to the fans with stories of his life living in a caravan behind the Ashfield stadium reaching the local press. Garcia is backing this up on the track though and is yet to dip below the 6 point mark in any of the Tigers official fixtures making a mockery of his 3 point starting average.

Garcia’s potency coupled with the heavy top end scoring of Richard Lawson, Aaron Summers and Ben Barker meant the Tigers were also able to withstand missing Richie Worrall for a couple of matches and still come away with a draw at Berwick and a home victory over Redcar. Many felt that with the make-up of the Glasgow team an injury for the number 4 man in their averages would leave them vulnerable but this was to prove unfounded and in fact the Ashfield men are yet to taste defeat after 5 official fixtures in league and cup so far this season.

Hoping to end that undefeated run are our home heroes the Border Roofing Monarchs. There has been a spell of inactivity for the Blue and Gold after last Friday’s postponement and the team haven’t ridden together since the heavy defeat at Workington almost two weeks ago. That’s not to say some of the boys have not been busy though. Sam of course doubles up with Wolverhampton this year and he continues to impress in the Elite League having bagged himself a couple of race wins in the Wolves home victory over Poole. Max is of course one of the busiest riders in British Speedway riding in all three leagues. He continues to impress with Cradley and while he is finding life a little sharp in the Elite League the experience can only do him good. Our Germans are regular top scorers in meetings back home and Dan has been picking up regular guest bookings in the National League acquitting himself well. Ryan and Jye have been left twiddling their thumbs somewhat but with both suffering early season engine gremlins this time off may have been appreciated to help them sort these out.

Both teams will hope to line-up with their advertised 1-7’s Richie Worrall having returned from injury last weekend to slot back into the number 4 slot in the Tigers line-up. The Monarchs originally had some doubts awaiting on if Dan would line-up at number 7 as Belle Vue are due to have a National League match at home to Mildenhall however an agreement has been reached and the young Cumbrian takes his place in the Monarchs line-up.

So as we go into the first Armadale derby of the season it has been said by some that this is a meaningless fixture as Glasgow have already progressed through to the semis. We all know there is no such thing as a meaningless derby though and both sides will be going hell for leather to come out with the bragging rights on what we hope will be a warm and summery Armadale on Friday night.