IMPORTANT MATCH FOR MONARCHS AND DIAMONDS

NEWS Tuesday 15th August 2006, 10:00am

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

The Scotwaste Monarchs face Newcastle Diamonds in an important Premier League match on Friday at Armadale (start time 7.30). Neither team has achieved as much as expected this season and both need a big finish to the season. Newcastle are in the better position, with a chance of reaching the Playoffs, while Monarchs want to ensure that they get off the bottom ? their current position is their worst for over 20 years.

IMPROVEMENT

Monarchs have good reason to believe that they can perform better on Friday than they did in last week's disappointing two-point defeat by Mildenhall.

HENRIK MOLLER who made such great efforts to beat the travel chaos and get to Armadale. On his return he found that repairs to his preferred Armadale bike had not been completed, and he had to ride unsuitable machinery. That will be sorted this week.

WILLIAM LAWSON had a last minute problem with the bike he intended to ride, and was also forced onto machinery that wasn't satisfactory.

Added to a home team debut for Daniele Tessari, Monarchs were unusually vulnerable last Friday and this led to their downfall against a tenacious Fen Tigers team.

The whole team are geared up for a much greater effort this Friday against Newcastle, a team who know Armadale rather better than the Fen Tigers.

FIXTURES

The Scotwaste Monarchs race at Sheffield this Thursday in a recently-arranged Premier League fixture.

Monarchs carry a lead of 8 points from their home leg, and it will be a tough bonus to get ? though Sheffield have been unusually vulnerable at home recently!

The match at King's Lynn which was rained off last Saturday will now be restaged on Saturday 26th August. The teams are level after the Armadale leg.

SPONSORS ON FRIDAY

Friday's visit by Newcastle will be sponsored by Keyline Broxburn, who have backed several Armadale fixtures this season, including of course the Scottish Open.

TEAMS FOR THE PREMIER LEAGUE MATCH AT ARMADALE ON FRIDAY 18th AUGUST (start time 7.30, doors open 6.30) are:

EDINBURGH SCOTWASTE MONARCHS: Theo Pijper (capt.), Daniele Tessari, Matthew Wethers, Henrik Moller, William Lawson, Sean Stoddart, Derek Sneddon.

NEWCASTLE DIAMONDS:George Stancl, Manuel Hauzinger, Christian Henry, Josef Franc, James Grieves, Adam McKinna, Jamie Robertson.

DIAMONDS STILL LOOK STRONG!: Although their season might not have been all they hoped for, Newcastle still represent a considerable threat to Monarchs.

James Grieves and George Stancl have enjoyed much success at Armadale, and recently Josef Franc has scored well too.

Christian Henry rode for Monarchs for three seasons, and he is having his best ever season, often outscoring one or more of the heat leaders, and he has probably been the Diamond of the Year.

Fellow second string Manu Hauzinger, a rare Austrian in the UK, has also done well.

Diamonds' reserves have enjoyed only modest success and it will be important how they score relative to the home pair.

LAST WEEK'S MEETING: Monarchs disappointingly slumped to their second home league defeat of the season, 44-46 at the hands of Mildenhall. Top Monarch was Theo Pijper with 14 points.

NEXT WEEK'S MEETING:

The Scotwaste Monarchs race against Workington in the Premier League at Armadale on Friday 25th August.