Edinburgh Monarchs v Workington Comets

REPORT Friday 11th June 2010, 10:00pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

You can never be sure how a team will do with three riders missing, and it was hard going at times before the Scotwaste Monarchs came through with a good win over Workington.

David Howe proved to be a strong no. 1 and did the job we were looking for, while William Lawson was not quite at his best on his comeback from injury but still totalled a handy 9 from 5 rides.

Rider replacement for Tobias brought us 9+1 so really we have nothing to complain about! But up until we took a 5-1 in heat 10 the result seemed in some doubt, with the 3 points not being settled until a last heat 5-01 from Howe and Tully.

Heat 1 was very eventful as Comets gated, Compton fell on the second bend, and Katajisto shot past Harrison to lead. Kalle then fell off on the pits bend after locking up, and Howe took over to win with Kalle getting back on quickly enough to stay ahead of Compton.

Kenny Ingalls got off to a great start in heat 2, hitting the bends fast and fighting to turn. Kalle was just coming through when Max Dilger went down and brought off Richard Lason at the start of lap two. Poor Max, another tough night.

Kalle won the rerun easily enough but again Ingalls looked good.

Matthew Wethers was quickly into his stride in heat 3, with William Lawson in spite of a quick start slipping to the rear. He looked tentative on the inside line but managed to slip past Cook for a 4-2.

Heat 4 took three attempts to run ? and Tully fell in all of them! The first time, Katajisto pushed Ingalls across the bend and fell with Tully also coming off on the outside. Monarchs were very fortunate to get an all-four decision as either of their riders could have been ruled out.

Next time, our riders gated, but as Kalle moved out and Andrew moved in, the bumped hard and Andrew came down again. This time Kalle was out.

At the third attempt, the riders got into the bend and it looked as though Kildemand might have helped Tully off. However it was allowed to continue and we lost the heat 5-1, which was perhaps deserved in view of what had happened at the first attempt.

The scores were level, but not for long. William Lawson managed to get into the lead but he was riding slowly on the inside line, and was passed by Compton. Later in the heatHarrison had him under pressure but Lawson just held second. All this time Matthew Wethers, pushed out at the first turn, was floundering at the rear.

Two down, and into an interesting heat 6 with Lawson brought down at the first corner (Kildemand involved again) at the first attempt. Next time, we had an amazing first lap with Howe leading but slipping back to last as William Lawson came through from last to first! He looked much better and held off the ever-challenging Kildemand, while Howe came back into third past Richard Lawson.

That levelled the scores, and it stayed that way as Andrew Tully won heat 7.

We looked like going ahead in heat 8 with Wethers and Katajisto out in front, but Kalle got into trouble and slowed. It transpired that he got the sun in his eyes and could not see where he was going. He finished touring at the back and we had lost another two points.

Wethers again led heat 9, but William Lawson was at the back until Kildemand fell on the pits corner, which gave us a 2-point lead. Could we build on that?

Yes we could, Howe and Tully headed heat 10 and though it was an easy 5-1, you reach the stage where you are expecting something to go wrong! This time, it didn?t and we led 33-27.

Tully again took the race-winning responsibility in heat 11, with Harrison again looking good in second spot. This was Max Dilger?s third ride and he wasn?t in the hunt for points.

Heat 12 was also shared with Craig Cook finally coming good to lead from the first lap. Lawson and Katajisto shared it, with Kalle again having some hairy moments as he found position.

The start of heat 13 was not a good one, Kildemand getting a flier, indeed there were a few which a more diligent referee might have called back. The dashing Dane won it though David Howe got close by the end.

So we were six up, needing a shared heat to clinch the win. Kalle?s victory in heat 14 ensured it, with Matthew Wethers just squeezed out by Cook for second after a tough first lap.

We were then looking for another shared race in the last heat to take the three points, and we did better than that thanks to Howe and Tully who raced away for a 5-1. In the end 51-39 looks comfortable, but we really had to work for it!