Tully was superb Image Credit: Ron MacNeill

MEMORABLE THREE POINTS FOR MONARCHS

NEWS Saturday 21st May 2011, 0:55am

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

The Scotwaste Monarchs excelled themselves in adversity tonight to take all three points against Newport with a 51-42 victory ? very much against the odds.

Everyone was expecting a tough match with Kalle Katajisto missing and Kyle Howarth injured. When Kevin Wolbert crashed out of the meeting in heat 1 (he seems to have no serious injuries by the way), the task became a huge one.

However with a display of great courage, skill and determination worthy of the league champions, Monarchs fought for every point. Andrew Tully led the way with one of his best-ever performances, Cook and Wethers were immense and reserves Dicken and guest Bekker gave us everything they had.

John Campbell said "Every one of the team was tremendous tonight, they did a great job."

The heat 2 5-1 from the back was vitally important in building up a lead of 21-9 by heat 5. Inevitably with Wolbert out this was eaten away as Wasps took an 8-1 from heat 6 and a 5-1 from heat 8, both against our reserves, but over the second half of the match Monarchs were just tremendous.

By holding back Cook's rider replacement ride we had at least one of our remaining top three in every one of the last 7 heats, and we had the race winner in six of them. Wasps' new star signing Jason Doyle must have wondered what hit him ? he didn't win a race, was taken brilliantly from the back by the supersonic Tully in heat 9 and then later outwitted by Craig Cook in two vital heats 11 and 13.

A key third place from Bekker in heat 12, passing Jones, moved us up to a 5-point lead and that was probably the point fans started believing that Monarchs could pull this one off.

Doyle fell in heat 13 chasing Cook who was so clever on the first corner, and when Matthew Wethers stayed cool to win heat 14 we had won the match.

Andrew Tully completed a memorable maximum in the last race in which Kyle Legault injured his hand in a fall which was similar to Kevin's in heat 1.

The diagnosis on Kevin is good, a leg injury but no break and a couple of days rest recommended.