Edinburgh Monarchs
Andrew Tully 12+1 (6)
Workington Comets
Kauko Nieminen 11+1 (5)
Premier League Knock Out Cup
49
41
Friday 26th September 2008
Armadale Stadium
Watch
Edinburgh Monarchs
49
1. William Lawson 1 1* 2* 1 1 6 2
2. Derek Sneddon 3 1 3 3 F 10 0
3. Thomas H Jonasson r/r 0 0
4. Andrew Tully 0 2 3 2 3 2* 12 1
5. Ryan Fisher 3 X 0 3 3 3 12 0
6. Matthew Wethers 3 1 2* 1* 1 8 2
7. Aaron Summers 1 0 0 1 0
Workington Comets
41
1. Tomas Topinka 0 3 E 2 1 6 0
2. Charles Wright 2 F 2 1 5 0
3. Kauko Nieminen 3 2* 3 3 0 11 1
4. Joe Haines 2* 3 2* 0 7 2
5. Carl Stonehewer 1* 1 2 0 4 1
6. Tomi Reima 0 F 1* 1 1
7. John Branney 2 2 1* 0 2 7 1
Heat 1
Time: 56.6
1. William Lawson  
1
2. Derek Sneddon  
3
1. Tomas Topinka  
0
2. Charles Wright  
2
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
4
4
Away
2
2
Heat 2
Time: 57.8
6. Matthew Wethers  
3
7. Aaron Summers  
1
6. Tomi Reima  
0
7. John Branney  
2
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
4
8
Away
2
4
Heat 3
Time: 56.9
3. Thomas H Jonasson r/r  
2. Derek Sneddon
1
4. Andrew Tully  
0
3. Kauko Nieminen  
3
4. Joe Haines  
2
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
1
9
Away
5
9
Heat 4
Time: 57.3
5. Ryan Fisher  
3
7. Aaron Summers  
0
5. Carl Stonehewer  
1
7. John Branney  
2
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
3
12
Away
3
12
Heat 5
Time: 56.5
3. Thomas H Jonasson r/r  
1. William Lawson
1
4. Andrew Tully  
2
1. Tomas Topinka  
3
2. Charles Wright  
F
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
3
15
Away
3
15
Heat 6
Time: 58.2
1. William Lawson  
2
2. Derek Sneddon  
3
5. Carl Stonehewer  
1
6. Tomi Reima  
0
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
5
20
Away
1
16
Heat 7
Time: 58.1
5. Ryan Fisher  
X
6. Matthew Wethers  
1
3. Kauko Nieminen  
2
4. Joe Haines  
3
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
1
21
Away
5
21
Heat 8
Time: 57.5
2. Derek Sneddon  
3
7. Aaron Summers  
0
2. Charles Wright  
2
7. John Branney  
1
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
3
24
Away
3
24
Heat 9
Time: 56.9
3. Thomas H Jonasson r/r  
5. Ryan Fisher
0
4. Andrew Tully  
3
5. Carl Stonehewer  
2
6. Tomi Reima  
1
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
3
27
Away
3
27
Heat 10
Time: 57.8
1. William Lawson  
1
2. Derek Sneddon  
F
3. Kauko Nieminen  
3
4. Joe Haines  
2
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
1
28
Away
5
32
Heat 11
Time: 57.7
5. Ryan Fisher  
3
6. Matthew Wethers  
2
1. Tomas Topinka  
R
2. Charles Wright  
1
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
5
33
Away
1
33
Heat 12
Time: 57.9
3. Thomas H Jonasson r/r  
4. Andrew Tully
2
7. Aaron Summers  
6. Matthew Wethers
1
3. Kauko Nieminen  
3
6. Tomi Reima  
7. John Branney
0
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
3
36
Away
3
36
Heat 13
Time: 57.3
1. William Lawson  
1
5. Ryan Fisher  
3
1. Tomas Topinka  
2
5. Carl Stonehewer  
0
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
4
40
Away
2
38
Heat 14
Time: 57.7
4. Andrew Tully  
3
6. Matthew Wethers  
1
4. Joe Haines  
0
7. John Branney  
2
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
4
44
Away
2
40
Heat 15
Time: 57.4
4. Andrew Tully  
2
5. Ryan Fisher  
3
1. Tomas Topinka  
1
3. Kauko Nieminen  
0
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
5
49
Away
1
41

This was a troubled night for the Scotwaste Monarchs though they battled through for an 8-point first leg win at the last gasp.

The track was slippery throughout, especially on the first turn, and falls by Ryan Fisher (twice) and Andrew Tully damaged the home cause, especially since these two along with Derek Sneddon were the most effective Monarchs.

Aaron Summers was ineffective after a midweek accident, and Matthew Wethers who might have filled some of the gaps was severely hampered by machine problems with both of his bikes.

The track was shining under the lights at the start and it did look as though too much water for the time of year may have been applied. This probably affected Topinka in heat 1 as he slipped to the back while Derek Sneddon took the bull by the horns and drove to the front.

We doubled our lead in heat 2 won by Matthew Wethers, with Reima gifting a point to Summers.

The first turn played its part again in heat 3 with Tully coming off, and the Comets pair of Nieminen and Haines toom an easy 5-1 from Sneddon.

Ryan Fisher looked slick in heat 4 but Aaron Summers was at the back, even though Carl Stonehewer looked pretty uncomfortable in third.

Tully turned in a great chase and came up just short of Neiminen in heat 5, with Lawson third. Still level.

Derek Sneddon gated in heat 6 with William Lawson initially languishing, but able to force his way past Stonehewer to give Monarchs a 4-point lead. Could they start to build on that now?

No was the answer, because heat 7 was a disaster. Firstly Nieminen locked up on the first corner, causing Fisher to fall. Ref Ackroyd (who committed that crazy double exclusion at Newcastle) decided to ignore what had actually happened and exclude Fisher.

Matthew was on his own, and early in the heat he began to splutter, limping home for the point as the scores were levelled again.

Matthew would normally have come in to heat 8 but we had to leave Aaron in. He trailed at the back as Derek Sneddon won again.

Heat 9 was another chance to gain, against Comets? weak third pair, but Fisher flopped off again on that first corner and wasted the chance as Tully won.

Worse still, we could not stop Nieminen and Haines who took their third 5-1 from heat 10. Derek Sneddon gave chase but fell on the last corner.

We quickly levelled the scores again, this time with a bit of help from an engine failure for Topinka. Fisher won easily and Wethers on Sneddon?s bike limped in for a paid win.

Nieminen won heat 12 as Tully chased, and we went ahead by two points in heat 13 with another Fisher win from Topinka, with Lawson just getting past Stonehewer.

We took 4 again from heat 14, Wethers again on Sneddon?s nike and doing the best he could for third place.

Finally we got a heat right in heat 15, with a great first corner move on the outside by Fisher and a forceful pass by Tully on Topinka. This time Nieminen was at the rear caught out by the slippery first turn.

We will be doing well if we can hold an 8-point lead on Saturday.

Now that the league is wrapped up attention turns to the Knockout Cup on Friday as Workington make the journey to Armadale for the first leg of the semi-final with the return at Derwent Park on Saturday.

The teams have met home and away in both the Premier Trophy Group stage and in the Premier League this season. Edinburgh have come out on top on aggregate in both tournaments. In the Premier Trophy they won by 101-85 and in the League by 98-83. Will it be third time lucky for Workington though?

Once again the Comets will be without Daniel Nermark this weekend and will use King?s Lynn?s Tomas Topinka for both matches. He can hardly do better than Daniel Nermark?s performances in the Premier Trophy matches which netted an unbeaten 33 points from 15 rides. Nonetheless Topinka has a CMA at both tracks of over 10 this season so will be a force to be reckoned with.

The Comets? two other heatleaders are Kauko Nieminen and Carl Stonehewer. In a contrasting turn of form Nieminen has struck gold as the season has progressed with brilliant performances in both Premier and Elite Leagues in recent times the latter for Lakeside. Stonehewer on the other hand has turned in some fairly indifferent performances which have not helped the Cumbrian side now on the verge of losing out in the Play Offs by conceding fourth place in the league to Rye House.

They have some impressive back up from second strings Charles Wright and Joe Haines both of whom have impressed on many occasions although not consistently. Tomi Reima and John Branney form the reserve pairing. For Reima it will be his first visit to Armadale.

Edinburgh should be able to build up a big lead from the first leg to take to the second leg although it would be unrealistic to expect them to repeat their 29 point win in front of the Sky cameras last month. The question is will it be big enough to hold on for the second leg at Workington on Saturday. With Rider Replacement operating for Thomas H Jonasson all of the super six will be eligible to take Rider Replacement rides.

With the league title finally clinched by Birmingham?s 48-44 point win over Somerset on Wednesday night the Monarchs are on a high and the team will approach this and the rest of their matches this season in the firm belief that they are capable of beating anyone home and away.

The Comets will certainly have high hopes of making it through to the final where Somerset are waiting to take on the winners but they will have to turn in an exceptional performance to triumph against a team with so much ability and self belief.

Line-ups for both matches:

Edinburgh: William Lawson, Derek Sneddon (captain), Rider Replacement for Thomas H Jonasson, Andrew Tully, Ryan Fisher, Matthew Wethers, Aaron Summers

Workington: Tomas Topinka (guest), Charles Wright, Kauko Nieminen, Joe Haines, Carl Stonehewer, Tomi Reima, John Branney.

Can the Monarchs now progress to the final of another tournament?