Plymouth Devils v Edinburgh Monarchs

REPORT Friday 28th October 2011, 10:00pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

Plymouth have been going well at home recently, but even allowing for the loss of Craig Cook it was disappointing that we took nothing from our first ever appearance at the St Boniface Arena.

Too much inconsistency and too many mistakes cost us dear. The early stages of the match were punctuated by several stoppages for the lights going out, and it seemed at that stage highly likely that the match woud have to be abandoned.

However it did struggle on. Also in the early heats the track was somewhat lively, with riders losing control on the fourth turn. Eventually this tendency claimed Craig Cook.

Ben Barker, invincible all night, was an easy winner of heat one with our pair rather uncomfortably holding off Ritchie Hawkins.

The second race looked like a home 5-1 until Franchitti paid an unscheduled visit to the fourth bend fence and allowed our pair through.

The Italian was in the next heat as well, and Andrew and Matthew took advantage as he did the same thing again to score a 5-1.

Things were looking up for a couple of laps in heat 4 as we again held a 5-1, even though Cook and Roynon were getting into some difficulties. It all went wrong for Craig though as he lifted off the fourth bend, clattered into the fence on the home straight and came down on the next corner.

It turned out he had injured his foot quite severely and obviously our hopes we much dimmed after that.

However we added two points to the lead when Wolbert won heat 5 with Kalle third. That was our high water mark.

Roynon made a decent start in heat 6 but Barker and Hawkins soon barged through for a maximum, and that was repeated in heat 7.

Andrew Tully stalled pre-race and had to go off 15 metres, and our pair finished well behind Wells and Franchetti who this time rode the track much better.

Heat 8 was a good ride by Kalle, hitting the wide line and rounding the home pair in the first lap. This time though Roynon was tailed off and pulled out.

Paul Starke was excluded after a first bend fall in heat 9, but our reserve pair were well beaten by Cockle, and improved rider for the Devils.

Plymouth increased their lead to six in a disappointing heat ten in which the Tully-Wethers pair got nowhere near Barker and Hawkins.

Wolbert was looking impressive now and won heat 11 easily, but he had to do it in a rerun after Kalle had come down, attempting a rash outside overtake on Wells. One of Kalle's better away meetings thus ended in an exclusion.

Tully's gating was off, and he had to battle from the back to get a second place in heat 12. Adam Roynon was pointless and we trailed by 8.

Heat 13 was the race of the night. Wolbert and Wells battled for the whole race but were upstaged by Barker who swept round for the win, showing his mastery of the circuit.

That allowed us a TR in heat 14 and this time Matthew got it right, gating for the six points. Adam Roynon made a poor start but rode his best race of the night to pass Franchetti and, on the las bend, Cockle.

Suddenly we were only three down. Wolbert and Wethers lined up for the last heat, and although Barker gated, our pair head Wells into the first turn which should have ensured a point.

Suddenly though Matthew had lost it and came off, bringing down Kevin, and again we had shot ourselves in the foot. The rerun was a 5-1 all the way even though Wolbert strained everything to try to pass.

Disappointment once again in a season when we have rarely performed to our potential, especially away from home.

Full Result Details