COOK BRILLIANT IN DEFEAT

NEWS Thursday 12th September 2013, 9:31pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

The Scotwaste Monarchs went down 51-44, just missing a point, at Ipswich tonight, but Craig Cook gave another astounding display in scoring a maximum 18 points.

Another three of our riders won races - Theo Pijper, Max Fricke and Jozsef Tabaka - but there was a lack of consistency and too many last places against what is of course a very good Ipswich team.

John Campbell said "Craig was absolutely magnificent, there was never any doubt he was going to win his heats.

"Jozsef had his best away match for a long time but it was just impossible to come off gate 4 in the last heat. I could have put Craig there but by that stage it would have been very hard even for him.

"Max unfortunately wasn't fit enough when the track was deep early on. As well as his recent injury he's been suffering from 'flu as well.

"I thought we might have got an advantage in heat 14 but it wasn't to be."

Our record at Foxhall Heath is mediocre but when you have Craig Cook in the team, anything is possible. He equalled the track record in heat 5, scored a 6-point TR, burst between Barker and Risager to win heat 13 and completed his maximum in the final heat. What more can you ask for?

We had Jozsef Tabaka with Craig in the final race but the Witches kept him out.

Jozsef had also taken a TR and scored 4, so we gained 5 points from the TR riders, as Ipswich had done at Armadale.

Theo won heat 3, but other than Cook's victories it was heat 12 before another Monarch saw the chequered flag, when Max Fricke led home Tungate, an excellent scalp.

Jozsef Tabaka won heat 14 to keep our hopes of a point alive.

Claus Vissing started with two seconds but faded after that, and it was a pointless night for Derek on the eve of his Testimonial. He gated in second place in heat one but was passed by both Witches late in the race, and he was also passed by Lanham in heat 5.

There aren't any easy points at Ipswich. James Sarjeant rode at no. 6 and scored a point, actually passing his partner.

With Somerset slaughtering Sheffield at Owlerton in a truncated match, the top three places now read Ipswich 54, Somerset 54, Edinburgh 50, Newcastle 45. So we would need some excellent results on Sunday and Monday to make the top two.

For now we can relax and enjoy Derek's testimonial on Friday night, start time 7:15.