OUT OF THE CUP

NEWS Friday 20th September 2013, 8:36pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

It was never likely that we would be able to pull back 26 points against Somerset in the Cup semi-final, but we were left a bit frustrated thinking that it could have been a lot closer after winning 48-42 on the night and going down 80-100 on aggregate.

We threw away a few early chances to close the gap, and an engine failure for Theo Pijper when on a 5-1 in heat 9 was also a sickener. For Claus Vissing, it was a nightmare night which could scarcely have been any worse, and regrettably he will probably be the most talked-about name amongst Monarchs fans after the match.

Claus managed to beat Wright in heat 4 but lost crucial 5-1s in heats 7 and 11, bringing the progress of preceding heats to a halt. It's the last thing our big Dane would have wanted against his former team, and he was out looking for the answer on the track post-meeting.

He had even made the gate in heat 7 but both Grajczonek and Davies passed him out of the second corner. The best way he can make up for such a poor performance of course is to score to his full potential in the forthcoming Playoff matches, starting at Workington on Saturday.

On the positive side for Monarchs, Jozsef Tabaka had a great night and dropped his only point to the brilliant Nick Morris in heat 15. This race should undoubtedly have been stopped after a tight first bend when Grajczonek had inadvertently lost control and baulked Craig Cook in a big way. He had no choice but to come to a halt and this was the worst non-decision of the Armadale year.

So what about these early passed-up chances? Well Derek Sneddon gated in heat 1, but swung wide out of the second bend and allowed the two Rebels past as Cook won the heat.

When Max Fricke had won heat 2 and James Sarjeant had very narrowly failed to catch Charles Wright after the Rebels’ reserve had made an error, we saw Theo Pijper repeat Derek’s error and drop from second to last on the first lap in heat 3. What a difference these lost points might have made.

Nevertheless we built up an 8-point lead by heat 6, helped by a brilliant ride by both Pijper and Tabaka to stitch up Jason Doyle for a 5-1.

Unfortunately heat 7 set us back. In spite of two poor rides, Derek Sneddon showed plenty of character to win heat 8 backed up by Max, and when Jozsef and Theo raced away from Nick Morris in heat 9 for a cast-iron 5-1, there was more than a glimmer of hope.

However Theo slowed and eventually stopped, gifting Somerset a shared heat. When Cook and Sneddon scored another 5-1 in heat 10, which should have been the third on the trot, we cursed the luck that had prevented us going 16 points up on the night.

Heat 11 was a 1-5 though, no luck involved, and that was pretty much that.

We were pulled back to just a 4-point lead in the night by heat 13, after wins for Davies in heat 12 and Morris in heat 13 (a superb second bend taking him ahead of Cook).

Tabaka made it paid 12 from 4 in heat 14, with Max Fricke also riding well for a 5-1 which ensured we won on the night.

For the Rebels Nick Morris again showed that he is one of the best ever visitors to Armadale, and the rest all chipped in with exactly the scoring they needed to ensure they made it to the final against Rye House. On the face of it, it is a very predictable final.

Meanwhile we head for the Playoffs trying to ensure that everyone finds their best form as quickly as possible.