THIS IS HOW TO BOUNCE BACK

NEWS Sunday 14th June 2015, 8:19pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

Well who said Speedway is predictable? After the disappointment of Friday’s loss, the Border Roofing Monarchs showed their character and class by going to Ashfield today and dominating the meeting, leading from heat 1 and running out 51-39 victors.

It’s never over till it’s over, but at no stage did it feel as though Tigers had the firepower to overturn our early lead. Amongst today’s favourable statistics are 11 race winners, a full maximum of breathtaking quality by Craig Cook and only five last places against a side regarded as a very solid one. The victory took us into second spot in the PL table behind Somerset.

Heat one winner was rider replacement Erik Riss, his first race win away from home and surely the first of many. Sam pressed James Sarjeant but couldn’t pass and it was a winning start.

Palovaara seems to be a regular heat 2 winner but we shared that one (the first of some very good rides by Max Clegg, having his best away match) and when we took a 5-1 in heat 3 through Sedgmen and Wolbert with Aaron Summers at the back, we really were starting to think this might be our day in the sunshine.

Craig had the first of his wins over Lawson in heat 4 (Erik packing up while third), Sam Masters swept from the back to pass Summers in heat 6 and we just seemed to be cruising. We shared heat 7 before the afternoon’s only setback, a 1-5 in heat 8 even though we had Sedgmen in it. It was his only poor ride, but Erik very nearly caught Sarjeant on the line.

Cook again burst from the back to win heat 9, an excellent race and a really good one for Max Clegg also with a late pass round the outside of Sarjeant.

Heat 10 was another 4-2 with Sedgmen back to winning ways and we had repaired the damage of heat 8.

We then had a fairly lengthy break for a bit of entertainment from the Still Game characters, fair enough but both sets of fans really wanted to see how the remaining heats unfolded.

Lawson held on in heat 11 from Sam, with another excellent point for Clegg over Palovaara. Heat 12 looked like another shared race but regrettably Kevin and Erik got too close and Erik came down, needing lengthy treatment. First reports are a dislocated pinkie knuckle which hopefully won’t be too serious. He was ready to ride in heat 14 if required.

Kevin swept away to win the rerun, leaving us 40-32 ahead with three to go. Once again Cook was the master in heat 13, a 4-2 with Sam ahead of Worrall, the race being followed by a disagreement between Cook and Lawson, the cause not being obvious.

Ten up with two races left, and a win for Sedgmen in heat 14 made it a certain victory.

We had a spectacular tumble in heat 15 as Lawson tried a ridiculous wide line to get near Cook and inevitably hit the fence. He walked away unharmed, Craig completed his maximum in the rerun and that was that, as impressive a display as we have ever given at Ashfield, sportingly received by most of the home personnel.

Full Result Details