Edinburgh Monarchs v Berwick Bandits

REPORT Friday 13th April 2007, 10:00pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

In spite of the fog at Armadale, we saw enough to conclude that the team?s performance is improving. A 47-25 12 heat score gave us the bonus.

The match was called off at that point because visibility had become very bad indeed, in fact we were fortunate to reach the important 12-heat mark.

Had Jim McGregor not been there, we certainly would not have. Jim was spectating but agreed with match official Craig Ackroyd that he would patrol the back straight with a red flag to warn of any incidents there, which would not have been easily seen from the box.

The last couple of heats were decidedly dodgy indeed but we made it without mishap, and took the bonus point on an 85-77 aggregate.

There were some good signs of improvement in the home camp, especially from Matthew Wethers who was riding a much altered bike, and Andrew Tully who

followed his 8 at Redcar with a remarkable paid 11 here!

Ronnie Correy recorded the fastest time of the season in heat 1, with Bergstrom splitting the home pair and Makovsky a long way back.

Heat 2 was a comfortable home 5-1, and heat 3 went the same way after Daniele had got the better of a passing and repassing battle with Michael Coles.

Colesy got into second at one point but Daniele went hard under him and pushed him wide. It turned out to be the only time we saw anything of the old Michael Coles, once a PL top liner.

Stan Burza won heat 4 smoothly, with Tully doing the chasing rather than Wethers.

Makovsky came to life in heat 5 with one of his smoothest Armadale rides, and an easy win, and this time Tessari was tailed off.

Burza made the gate in heat 6, but Correy pulled off a lovely cutback to forge ahead up the back straight. Moller took another third.

We were 10 ahead and increased it in the next heat when, at last, we saw the best of Matthew Wethers. Rempala came to life after an exploratory first Armadale ride, but Matthew caught him with an excellent move off the inside of turn two.

Berwick then played their TR card, perhaps a heat earlier than most expected. Moller gave Bergstrom no chance from the gate, and Tully also piled on the pressure to such an extent that Bergstrom gave way and gained no extra points.

Another Bandit failed to hold position in heat 9 ? this time the redoubtable Burza who led William Laws till the final corner, only to go wide just as William came in on the line to take the 3 points.

Moller got ahead in heat 10 but Correy couldn?t peg back Rempala. Maybe he was concerned about the worsening visibility.

Round about now Jim McGregor stepped out to allow the match to reach heat 12.

Matthew had the bit between his teeth now and led heat 11 all the way. Whether he could see or not, Derek tried manfully to pass Makovsky on the outside though he was eventually shaken off.

We finished up with what looked like a certain 5-1 from Tully and Lawson, only for William to apparently miscount the laps and slow up, giving Benji Compton a gift second. Rempala was just touring in this one, and given the conditions it was hard to blame him.

As a meeting this was pretty much spoilt by the weather, but as a performance it was the most encouraging of the season for Monarchs.

Full Result Details