Fine Academy showing tames the Tigers

REPORT Friday 22nd September 2023, 11:04pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs Academy

The Stellar Monarchs Academy completed their home fixtures for the season with perhaps their best display of the year, beating Mildenhall Fen Tigers 54-36 and thereby ending the very slight hope the visitors might have had of pipping the top two of Leicester and Oxford for a place in the Playoffs.

Team boss Scott Wilson said "Tonight was a great way to end our home campaign. We produced a real team performance with solid scoring right through the side, and a win or paid win for everyone.

"It's a shame we are at the end of the season, guys like Dayle and Mickie are so dialled in around Armadale now.

"I was especially pleased for Mark Parker tonight, he has come on leaps and bounds this year and tonight he got his reward on the scorechart with 4 plus 3 bonus."

Leading the way with an outstanding performance was Max Clegg, brilliantly coming from the back in the opening race to pass the formidable Alfie Bowtell, and in his first four heats Max was a good second quicker than anyone else in the meeting. He just missed his maximum in the final race when Bowtell did get the drop on him off the second bend and hung on for the win.

The Academy's middle pairing of Jacob Hook and Dayle Wood were both in double figures, and guest Luke Killeen filled in for the missing Adam Roynon, losing only to the top two visitors Bowtell and Complin.

As ever Complin provided lots of entertainment with his chases from the back, notably in an excellent three-way battle in heat 9 against Hook and Wood. George Congreve was another who was prominent for the Fen Tigers with two heat wins.

Academy team manager Wilson deployed his resources well, taking advantage of an inexperienced tail in the visiting side and ensuring that the home reserve pairing piled up the points. Indeed it was Simpson and Parker who made a big step towards the win and the aggregate bonus with their heat two 5-1. From that point on the Academy gradually extended their lead.

West Lothian Wildcats defeated Berwick Academy 20-13 in the Northern Junior League match which followed and attention now turns to Saturday night's match at 7:00 when Scunthorpe visit in the Championship Playoff.

Full Result Details