Edinburgh Monarchs v Newport Wasps

REPORT Friday 7th October 2011, 10:00pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

It was hard to believe Edinburgh lost this match after building up a 12 point lead.

This was partly due to the excellence of Charlie Gjedde and the persistence of his team mates, but in reality owed more to the blundering of the home riders. Important fallers in each of the final four races sealed their fate, and left a feeling of anti-climax and frustration amongst the home support.

Unfortunately Craig Cook?s struggles continue. After winning his first race (and combining with Kyle Howarth who is also enduring a very bad spell), he started lifting off the starts and trailing round searching for form and confidence. It isn?t pleasant to watch, though allegations that he ?isn?t interested? are way off the mark.

Tom Perry showed a lot of spirit at reserve, but there was too much pressure thrown on to the top part of Monarchs? team.

Newport cut into their deficit with easy 5-1s in heats 7 and 8, and avoided a likely maximum reverse in heat 9 when Mark Jones fell ? Leigh Lanham was thus able to avoid a third successive personal 1-5 in the rerun.

Heading into the last four races, Monarchs were hanging on by 2 points. Howarth fell in heat 12 but Andrew Tully won the rerun from the back. Kevin Wolbert did well to get to the front in heat 13 from gate 1, but overdid things on the pits bend and flipped off.

The rerun now was almost certainly going to be a Wasps? 5-1 ? until Lanham stopped and baulked Cook. Monarchs still had a 1-point lead.

Kyle Howarth came into heat 14, and made his best start of the night ? but spun off on the first corner. Matthew Wethers won the rerun.

Wolbert and Tully had only dropped one point between them other than Wolbert?s fall, and they simply needed to share the final race. However it was Tully this time who was a first bend faller, and Gjedde got the better of a powerful early tussle with Wolbert to ensure an away win ? once Aspegren had very narrowly avoided falling off as well!

Full Result Details