Newport Wasps v Edinburgh Monarchs

REPORT Sunday 23rd April 2006, 10:00pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

We thought we had a chance of winning, but everything went wrong at our bogey venue Newport.

Bike problems and other misfortunes must have cost us a dozen points at least, and it will be very hard to earn a bonus point out of this one. However as a pointer to KO Cup prospects, it can be discounted.

There were no complaints about losing a heat 1 5-1, the first sign that Henrik wasn't in for a good day.

Derek was well on the way to an easy heat 2 win though, enjoying himself and looking fast, when the hike started to splutter. He shook his head, and on the next bend the stuttering threw him off to concede a 5-1. Sean had been excluded at the first attempt for running into Parsons on the first bend.

Matthew had a battle with Tony Atkin for second spot in heat 3 which ended when Atkin drove hard under him and Matthew came down. So that was 15-3.

It got worse! Derek fell after hitting a rut in heat 4, Rusty laid down to avoid running over him - and the referee let it go! So that was 20-4 with inexperienced Billy Legg on 4 paid 6, all gifts.

Theo took a TR off gate one in heat 5 and won a good battle against the spectacular Wilkinson to score 6. Henrik was well back though.

We also gave Rusty a TR but his didn't pay off as he failed to beat an opponent. Matthew and William shared heat 7 with Watson ahead of Parsons, and the next misfortune was coming up.

Theo was a good bet to win heat 8 but - would you believe it - he was spluttering now, and incredibly Legg once again was the fortunate recipient of a paid win. Oh yes, Derek had stopped at the gate.

Heat 9 was a 4-2 loss as Rusty subdued Atkin, then we saw the best of William with a good heat 10 win over Collins and Schramm.

By heat 12 we decided to give William a TS chance, and he made a brave fist of it but just failed to pass Parsons who was riding well.

Heat 13, 5-1 against, then we had more misfortune in heat 14. William was ahead and sure to win when Derek's dreaful day ended with another fall. He was just too slow to clear the track, and as the race was stopped we noticed William had problems. He had to switch to Theo's bike for the rerun in which he missed the start, only earning a second place from the back.

It looked unlikely we would reach 30, but remarkably Theo and Rusty nipped out the gate to score a 5-1 over Collins and the previously unbeaten Watson.

Very much a day to forget and one we are unlikely to see repeated.

Full Result Details