Tully in form Image Credit: Ian Bush

NOW WE'RE IN THE CUP FINAL

NEWS Saturday 19th September 2009, 0:08am

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

At the end of a momentous four days, the Scotwaste Monarchs successfully qualified for the Knockout Cup Final by going down 41-49 at Rye House, winning 104-76 on aggregate.

The achievement, on a long night, was to stay focussed enough after the exhausting programme they had completed.

The 5-1 advantages by Matthew Wethers and Andrew Tully in heat 3 and 7, plus an opening heat win by Ryan Fisher, were just about enough to ensure that we were the aggregate winners.

Rockets had two guest reserves, but one of these, National League rider Kyle Hughes, gave a man-of-the-match performance with 9+2.

Ryan Fisher had two exclusions, the second one very dubious, and did not find the slick conditions to his liking. Matthew Wethers kept a cool head to steer us home with Andrew Tully confirming that he is as good as ever after injury.

Everyone will be assuming that we will meet King's Lynn in what is our first KO Cup final for a decade, but of course they have still to race Scunthorpe in the second semi. In the meantime, we face up to the new champions next Friday in the Premier Trophy final first leg, another great confrontation in prospect.