Team Of The Year Up On Friday

NEWS Tuesday 16th August 2016, 7:44pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

Somerset lost their unbeaten record last week but they had won their first 14 League matches of the season, marking them as the outstanding team of the season so far. They will provide the opposition for the Border Roofing Monarchs at Armadale on Friday.

Monarchs are at full strength but there are some changes in the Rebels’ lineup, none of which appear to do their chances any harm. Before then Monarchs travel to Somerset (Wednesday) and Sheffield (Thursday) for testing away fixtures.

Alex Harkess said “Somerset and ourselves have been the outstanding sides of the last three seasons so it is always a big occasion when our sides meet.”

Teams for the Premier League Match at Armadale on Friday 19th August (start time 7:30pm, gates open 6:30pm), are:

BORDER ROOFING MONARCHS: Sam Masters (capt.), Mark Riss, Erik Riss, Ryan Fisher, Kevin Wolbert, Max Clegg, Dan Bewley.

SOMERSET REBELS: Ricky Wells, rider replacement for Charles Wright, Victor Palovaara, Paul Starke, Rohan Tungate, Bradley Wilson-Dean, Rob Shuttleworth.

REBELS’ LINEUP: Somerset lost the services of Charles Wright at Sheffield last week and the former Monarch is still out. Also missing will be Josh Grajczonek due to his Elite League commitments with Swindon who race on Friday, and Jake Allen who travels for this weekend’s Under-21 World Team Final.

They are replaced by Ricky Wells (for Josh) and Victor Palovaara (for Allen) with a strong rider replacement facility for Wright (everyone bar Wells).

Wells is an acknowledged track expert, and Palovaara was unbeaten for Newcastle on his last visit going into heat 15. Monarchs will need to be at their best.

AWAY FIXTURES: Other than their 3-point reserve, only Charles Wright will be missing from the Somerset lineup to face the Monarchs at the Oak Tree Arena on Wednesday.

Monarchs took famous victories there in 2013 and 2015, two of our most thrilling away performances both captured on Sky. In neither case did we start favourites or anything like it.

On Thursday we move on to Sheffield who of course defeated Somerset last week, though they had only managed a draw with Ipswich the week before.

Any away points gained would perhaps be a bonus as we seek to secure a Playoff spot, but we do need to win on Friday!

LIGHTNING REUNION: The Hospitality area on Friday will be occupied by some of the officials, riders and helpers from the Linlithgow Lightning team who raced in the third tier of British Speedway from 1994-99. They will be sponsoring the match.

VERY STRONG REBELS SIDE: The changes to the Somerset team should do nothing to weaken them as they bid to secure the top spot in the table which has looked like their destiny all season.

Shrewd team manager Garry May has filled the gaps well and will be driving his team on this weekend as usual. Recent performances by Wells and Palovaara have been impressive, and Paul Starke will be a key man – he has top scored for Rebels on their last three Armadale visits.

A lot will depend on Rohan Tungate, brilliant so far this season but not previously successful on the Armadale track in his Ipswich days.

New Zealander Bradley Wilson-Dean has not ridden at Armadale but he has been another success story for Somerset this season.

It should be the toughest test of the season for the Border Roofing Monarchs.

LAST MEETING: As we have said so many times (this is the seventh time actually), last Friday’s match at Armadale was washed out by adverse weather.

NEXT MEETING: On Friday 26th August the visitors to Armadale will be Glasgow in the second leg of the KO Cup quarter final, with Tigers leading by 24 after the first leg.