FRUSTRATING NIGHT, BUT WE GOT THERE

NEWS Friday 13th August 2010, 11:58pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

The Scotwaste Monarchs continued their recent pattern of throwing points away at Armadale in their home match against Berwick, and with three heats left they led by a mere three points. In the end they came through to win 50-39 and take all three points.

Berwick plugged away and even made the start in the final heat, in which they could have taken a point. However the heat was stopped when Ryan Fisher fell, all four riders were invited back, and Monarchs duly took a 5-1.

That gave the mighty Fisher an 18-point maximum on a night on which he dominated every race other than that first running of heat 15. Matthew Wethers was also brilliant again with 15+1, dropping points only with a third in heat 1.

The problems lay elsewhere. William Lawson had two bikes with him, neither functioned and he gained three of his four points riding Matthew's bike in a vital heat 12.

Kalle Katajisto looked back on form ? but only scored in 2 of his 5 heats! He had two exclusions and a fall, and each time there was much discussion over whether the referee might have ruled in his favour rather than against. Different views in the stadium can look so different.

Andrew Tully won his first two heats in style, then took a last and a third (in a 1-5)before bouncing back to join Fisher in a heat 13 5-1.

Berwick plugged away and showed better form than they usually do at Armadale, with Rajkowski always a threat. However in reality they had no-one who could live with the best home men and were given too many gift points. The mystery of why Monarchs make so few errors away from home, and so many at home, continues.

Full Result Details