Glasgow Tigers v Edinburgh Monarchs

It wasn't our best performance, but it was one of our most memorable, as we turned a 12-point deficit at heat 8 into a 2-point win in our final league match of the season.

The last heat 5-1 set off amazing scenes of celebration amongst the Monarchs' fans, dancing and cheering as the amazing team came round on their victory parade.

It certainly didn't look like a win in the early stages. Derek did make the gate inn heat 1 but William tumbled on the first corner and was excluded. At the next attempt Dicken gated and Parker moved under Sneddon on lap one for an easy 5-1.

Heat 2 - another easy home 5-1. Heat 3 - stopped the first time, then another win for Dicken as Fisher fell. We were 10 down already.

Matthew Wethers struggled last week but he raced off to beat Leverington in heat 4, with Aaron Summers again toiling at the rear.

Heat 5 and it was TR time already, Fisher coming in as rider replacement in the black and white. He could do no better than second behind Leverington as we took a 5-3.

Immediately it got worse again, Parker and Dicken holding off the hard challenging Matthew Wethers to put Tigers 12 ahead.

Leverington won again from Fisher and Tully in heat 7 and really we had done almost nothing right at this stage.

Matthew took the rider replacement in heat 8 and scored his second victory, but Aaron Summers was again last and we made no ground.

We needed to strike back now, and we did. Derek Sneddon at last got clear in heat 9, shepherded by Matthew, and that was at least a start.

We got a stroke of luck in heat 10, with Fisher heading Parker when Glasgow's no. 1 stopped, gifting a 4-2.

Leverington won heat 11 but Tully and Lawson shared it, keeping Andersen at the back, and heat 12 looked like a good chance to make further inroads.

Fisher did win comfortably but Sneddon, third at one point, lost a point through going too wide in a passing attempt.

Tigers gated on a 5-1 in heat 13, which would just about have finished things, but Wethers passed Leverington after which Trent fell in William's path. He was excluded, and in the rerun Matthew did even better to pass Parker on the inside of the bar bend for a win.

Now we were just four down. Derek gated in heat 14 but Andrew was at the back. He kept challenging though and eventually managed to slip inside Andersen to secure another 4-2.

Two down going in to the last heat. Leverington off gate 1, Wethers gate 2, Parker gate 3, Fisher gate 4.

Fisher made a scorcher from gate 4 and he was gone, while Wethers emerged from the middle of the Tigers to slip into second. With the Monarchs' fans roaring them on, Matthew held off Parker's strong challenge with his usual solid ride, and what a cheer awaited them as they crossed the line.

Derek was out quickly to jump on the back of Ryan's machine for a celebration lap, and fans of both sides found it hard to believe what they had just seen.

Glasgow Tigers v Edinburgh Monarchs

"The Monarchs finally race the last match of their Championship winning Premier League season by returning to Ashfield on Sunday afternoon looking to take their record of away wins in the league this year to seven against Glasgow Tigers.

This is the restaging of the match which was rather controversially called off on that warm sunny day on the 17 August. It looked for a while that the restaging of the match would turn into a Championship decider with Edinburgh needing a win or draw to claim the title but Birmingham?s win over Somerset has reduced it to an end of season fixture with nothing at stake other than ?bragging? rights.

Glasgow won?t see it that way though and will be desperate to avoid going through the season without a single victory over the Monarchs particularly after the devastating way they lost last week?s Scottish Cup tie on the Ashfield track. However they have to take to the track this time without Robert Ksiezak who unfortunately broke his collar bone in the heat 15 crash last week.

Glasgow were planning to use a guest (Christian Henry) to replace Robert for the second leg of the Scottish Cup tie which was rained off on Friday night at Armadale but no such facility is available to them this time with only rider replacement and reserve rides able to fill his programmed rides. With Peter Juul moving to number 3 on his assessed 7.00 point average Glasgow have notionally moved Ksiezak to number 4 with all of the team bar Shane Parker able to fill in for him.

The Tigers will have taken heart from last Sunday?s performance from which they nearly achieved victory but Ksiezak?s absence may tip the balance again. The Monarchs, too, will not be on the same lines as last week with William Lawson returning to the number 1 spot following his absence last week at the World under-21 Championship. Rider replacement resumes for Thomas H Jonasson at number 2 but the rest of the team will be on the usual lines.

Lat week?s match on a slick and bumpy track was very much decided on gating so, if there are similar track conditions, it is likely that the same will apply on Sunday. Although derby matches are always keenly contested, and this one is no likely to be any different from the others, there is in fact little at stake league-wise. Edinburgh can?t improve on the first position and Glasgow can?t improve on their second bottom position.

This will be the last time this season that the Tigers appear at home in a team match so they will be looking to send their fans home happy with a win and the promise of better things to come next season. However if they think that sheer determination is a quality which will be the sole prerogative of their team on Sunday then they will have learned little about how Edinburgh?s success has been achieved this season. Derek Sneddon and the rest of the Monarchs are not about to roll over just to accommodate Glasgow?s hopes.

The Tigers will, I?m sure, be well aware of the fact that they will be facing a team just as determined as themselves so, if they are to win this match, they will need to produce their very best form and slickest gating boots.

Much interest will again be concentrated on the form of the riders who are likely to form part of the backbone of the Glasgow team next year - Peter Juul, Mitchell Davey and Anders Andersen. All three contributed well to last week?s total and a repeat performance together with a back-to-form contribution from Trent Leverington and similar return from Lee Dicken may be just the support Shane Parker needs to lead his merry troops home.

For the Monarchs, William Lawson will be hoping to regain some form to lead the side to victory. Ryan Fisher showed last week how well he rides the Ashfield track while Derek Sneddon is a constant source of irritation to the Tigers. A below par Matthew Wethers turned things around at Somerset on Wednesday night and will be looking for a similar return while Andrew and Aaron will also be in there fighting for points.

The teams for the match are:

Glasgow: Shane Parker, Lee Dicken, Peter Juul, Robert Ksiezak (R/R), Trent Leverington, Anders Andersen, Mitchell Davey.

Edinburgh: William Lawson, Thomas H Jonasson (R/R), Ryan Fisher, Andrew Tully, Matthew Wethers, Derek Sneddon, Aaron Summers.

Here?s hoping for an excellent, injury-free match.