PANTHERS TAKE THE POINTS

NEWS Friday 7th August 2015, 11:59pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

We were hoping for a better match than we have been having recently, and we certainly got that, but the trouble is that Peterborough were a little bit too good for us and took a narrow but deserved 45-44 victory.

Life without Sam Masters was never going to be easy, but it’s the job of the rest of the side to step up to the plate. Tonight too many of them wilted when the going got tough, and in all honesty only the outstanding (as always) Craig Cook was up to the hoped-for standard. He broke his own track record in heat 4, the new time being 54.1.

Panthers like several before them presented us with a ‘select’ side, but this one worked and with Ricky Wells, Matthew Wethers and a decent rider replacement coming in for Ostergaard, Simon Lambert and Grondal, they were certainly not weakened.

Ricky Wells especially had his best meeting at Armadale, and we were able to see for the first time just what Robert Lambert is made of. An outstanding young rider.

The rest came up with important points, right down to the ever-trying Konopka who won heat 2.

We have been so good in recent seasons at showing resilience and coming up with the vital points when it matters, but tonight it didn’t happen. We never got into a comfortable position.

Our reserves have been showing decent form recently but they didn’t do enough, though Rob Branford did pick up a good second place in heat 14. That should have been crucial but unfortunately Erik Riss, after a winning start in heat 3, got very little right thereafter and came in at the back of heat 14.

That left us needing an advantage in the final race against the outstanding pair of Robert Lambert and Ricky Wells. Craig Cook won easily but although Kevin Wolbert seemed to be away well, he was pushed out and that was that.

There was some good racing and plenty of tension as it was obvious that it was going to be close. Gates were not very well balanced, not for the first time, with 9 wins from gate 2 – that needs to be sorted out.

We could moan about being understrength without Sam, but the test of a team is to win in adversity. We didn’t do it and we can’t complain.

Full Result Details