Edinburgh Monarchs v Glasgow Tigers

Our magnificent 2008 team maintained their high standards to the last, tearing the Tigers to shreds to add the Scottish Cup to our achievements this season.

Glasgow had a strange side with only one of their own riders available (Dicken was a late call-off) but their management had taken the trouble to put a decent looking septet together. On the night though, they were swept aside.

The rout started right away as James Grieves made the start in heat 1, but drifted wide on the pits bend. This allowed Summers and Lawson to dash through for a maximum start.

Theo Pijper, on Derek?s bike, took the lead off the second bend in heat 2 with Summers working his way through past Charles Wright for another 5-1.

Makovsky was in contention early on in heat 3 but looked untidy, allowing Wethers and Tully another 5, and finally Tigers won a point in heat 4 when Wright finished between Fisher and Summers.

As early as heat 5, the TR was used with Grieves. He led for most of the heat with Matthew Wethers trying to pass and Tully also well in the picture, Finally Matthew squeezed by and Tully then flew past as well to complete an amazing 5-1 in the best race of the night.

Lawson and Fisher romped away in heat 6 with Leverington looking way off the pace, then Tigers took their second point in heat 7 when Makovsky split Fisher and Pijper.

Charles Wright had so far looked lively but he flipped over the back off bend two in a spectacular heat 8 crash. Fortunately his bike reared forward but didn?t collect anyone. That turned out to be the last we saw of Wright, and we took another routine 5-1 in the rerun.

Wethers and Tully has no difficulty adding another 5 in heat 9 and at 43-11 the win was clinched already, though we had long since taken that for granted.

Then came a mini-fightback by the Tigers, assisted by some mistakes from Monarchs. Makovsky led heat 10 with Tully looking much quicker and searching for a gap. Tully though fell on the pits bend of lap two and Grieves, well back in the first running, took the rerun, passing Makovsky and Lawson. Lawson went round Makovsky for second place.

Fisher fell on the first bend of heat 11 allowing Grieves a second win from Pijper, with Ryanb remounting and catching Robert McNeil.

Tigers? high point was heat 12, a genuine advantage as Wethers couldn?t pass the awkward Makovsky and steady Adam McKinna headed a spluttering Summers.

We were back to more like normal in heat 13 though, a 5-1 from Fisher and Lawson over Grieves, and then we saw Andrew Tully find his way past Makovsky this time in heat 14 for a 4-2.

Ryan and Andrew finished the season as they have spent most of it, romping away from the opposition for the ninth 5-1 of the night.

HERMISTON MONARCH OF THE MATCH: Andrew Tully.

Edinburgh Monarchs v Glasgow Tigers

"The last match of the season on the last day of the season sees another visit to Armadale from the Glasgow Tigers this time in Scottish Cup action. Well I say Glasgow Tigers but in reality it?s two Glasgow riders and four guests who will be wearing the red and white stripes.

This will be the eighth time the two teams have met this season. The Monarchs have won the previous seven encounters, three at Armadale and four at Ashfield, so will be looking for a full house of eight from eight. A draw will be good enough to win the Scottish Cup, however, since Edinburgh have a one point lead from their 44-45 first leg encounter at Ashfield. The Tigers were incensed at losing that match. Having led by four points with just heat 15 to go it looked as though they could do no worse than draw. The fates conspired against them though as first Robert Ksiezak crashed out of the last race breaking his collar bone in the process then, in the rerun, Shane Parker suffered an engine failure while leading presenting Edinburgh with a 0-5 which saw them take an unlikely victory.

All that is now history and it?s a strange looking Glasgow side which lines up on Friday night. Out is Shane Parker, (otherwise engaged) and in comes James Grieves (Redcar) at number 1 instead giving the stripes a rider whose previous Armadale performances are certainly in no way inferior to Shane?s. Lee Dicken is one of the two Glasgow regulars at number 2 but out is Peter Juul, back in Denmark, and in comes Michal Makovsky (Berwick) at number 3. This strengthens the Tigers considerably. Peter Juul has yet to ride at Armadale and is still struggling to come to terms with Premier League racing while Makovsky is a heat leader of some renown with Berwick.

At number 4 Robert Ksiezak will be missing as a result of his injuries and Rider Replacement will operate instead. Only James Grieves will not be eligible to take an extra ride in his place. Trent Leverington lines up at number 5 as the second of the two Glasgow regulars but at number 6 Adam McKinna comes in to replace Mitchell Davey packed and ready to go back to Australia while at number 7 Glasgow have recruited Charles Wright (Workington) to replace Anders Andersen.

Edinburgh are on the usual lines but have moved Matthew Wethers to number 3 for this match partnering Andrew Tully with Ryan Fisher moving to number 5. A guest for the injured Derek Sneddon has yet to be announced while Rider Replacement will again operate for Thomas H Jonasson.

Normally challenge matches are insignificant in the great scheme of things but the Scottish Cup, no doubt because of its title and history, is different and is much coveted by both sides. The rules are stretched a bit in terms of team construction mainly because it is held so late in the season when riders are often unavailable through injury or early departure. This year is no exception.

Glasgow arrive with a team which on paper looks better than their current declared 1-7 averaging nearly a point higher but both teams will no doubt fight tooth and nail for every point. Unfortunately another week of terrible weather is likely to leave the track less than perfect again so fast gating may be of paramount importance (not Edinburgh?s strong point without Derek Sneddon and Thomas Jonasson). This will provide the patched up Glasgow side with an opportunity to turn the tables on Edinburgh?s complete domination over them this season but the Monarchs will still be a force with which to be reckoned. A lot may depend on whatever guest they can come up with for Derek Sneddon.

After surrendering their proud home record to Wolverhampton in the Playoffs last week the Monarchs will not contemplate a second home defeat to round off the most successful season in their history. They will all need to be on song, however, to repel the Grieves, Makovsky, Leverington spearhead especially with a dangerous guest reserve in Charles Wright who scored 8 (6) in the televised league match against Workington from reserve and followed that with 5 (4) at number 2 in the recent Knockout Cup match against the Comets both at Armadale. It?s at reserve that Edinburgh have proved so strong this season and another good contribution from Charles Wright will go a long way to making Glasgow competitive.

All in all it adds up to a fascinating contest but the fact that Edinburgh don?t actually have to win the match should go a long way towards ensuring that the Scottish Cup is added to the list of trophies won this season. Here?s hoping so and that the season is brought to a close on a high note.

The teams will line up as follows:

Edinburgh:

1. William Lawson,

2.Thomas H Jonasson (Rider Replacement),

3. Matthew Wethers,

4.Andrew Tully,

5 .Ryan Fisher,

6. Guest for Derek Sneddon,

7. Aaron Summers.

Glasgow:

1. James Grieves (Guest for Shane Parker),

2. Lee Dicken,

3. Michal Makovsky (Guest for Peter Juul),

4. Robert Ksiezak (Rider Replacement),

5.Trent Leverington,

6. Adam McKinna (Guest for Mitchell Davey),

7. Charles Wright (Guest for Anders Andersen).

Sadly this will be the last time the Monarchs? team of 2008 will go to the tapes this season. It?s been a pleasure and a privilege watching them and we hope as many as possible will be back in the blue and gold in 2009.