Title Partner
REPORT Friday 14th September 2007, 10:00pm
Edinburgh Monarchs
Predictions of a heavy defeat were well off the mark as the Scotwaste Monarchs forged clear of Rye House and had the match won by heat 13.
Thereafter the Rockets closed things up a bit with two heat advantages, but the visitors? performance to be honest showed why they haven?t achieved as much as many predicted for them this season.
After they had lost the first heat 5-1, and failed to close the gap with a series of non-finishers, the Rockets seemed to lose heart. None more so than Chris Neath who at times was almost unbelievably poor.
The exception to all this for the Rockets was Tai Woffinden who again performed brilliantly and seems to have everything it takes to do well in Speedway. Adam Roynon also finished with a good score but in his case 8 of his 12 points were scored after the result was decided.
Monarchs? opening pair made a very important strong start by racing away from Neath and r/r Steve Boxall in heat 1. It seemed quite surprising that Rockets used their strongest eligible rider to take the first replacement ride.
They should have levelled the scores in heat 2, Edinburgh?s problem race, but Adam Roynon pulled up with the race in his pocket. Luke Bowen didn?t look very steady but he wasn?t put under any real pressure.
Woffinden and Tommy Allen led heat three, with Laukkanen and Tully pressing hard. The two home men might have been obstructing each other a bit, but it didn?t matter because Allen (unsteady all the way) eventually fell off.
Rockets had another faller in heat 4 when Roynon came off on the first corner. Boxall and Wethers clashed on the first bend of the rerun with Matthew almost going into the fence, and Michael Coles also losing control. Boxall actually slowed and had a long look back, apparently showing some concern for the opposition!
Everyone got going eventually and it was a shared heat.
Laukkanen cut inside Neath off the second bend in heat 5, but the heat was stopped as Luke Bowen hit the pits bend fence hard.
In the rerun it was Tully who got the first bend right and raced off well ahead. Neath and Laukkanen had a good battle for second and though it looked like Kaj had moved through on the last lap, Neath came back off the final turn and took second. It was to be a rare show of fight from the Rockets? no. 1.
George Stancl went to the front in heat 6 but after a tight first bend Derek Sneddon found himself at the back. Eventually he fell as George held off a very strong challenge from Adam Roynon.
Woffinden won a rerun heat 7, stopped the first time as Kalle Katajisto went into the fence trying to pass Tommy Allen. Wethers took second spot and Monarchs were four ahead.
Derek Sneddon did well to win heat 8 from Allen and Roynon, and then Monarchs hit a purple patch.
Laukkanen and Tully carved up heat 9 ahead of Boxall, then we had the unusual sight of Woffinden trapped at the rear of heat 10, won by Stancl. Derek Sneddon fought a really tough battle with Allen and took a very good second place.
The score was now 36-24, allowing Rockets to consider tactical options. Somewhat surprisingly they went for a TS ride for Woffinden in partnership with Neath.
This didn?t work out for them because Wethers got the better of Neath to the first bend, and indeed Katajisto also passed Neath! Woffinden raced under Kale going in to the pits bend, and the young Finn slid off. This was unfortunate as he did seem to have the beating of the floundering Neath.
So Rockets took a 5-3 and the gap was now 10. They still didn?t use a TR, but Woffinden and Roynon took a 4-2 over Laukkanen.
Monarchs needed to consolidate their position, and they did it in style. George Stancl was again powerful to the first corner, and Matthew Wethers sailed round the outside line to go ahead.
Boxall chased in vain, Neath didn?t even do that, and at 46-34 we now only needed finishers to ensure the victory.
The start of heat 14 was an absolute shambles, the riders confused by the lights, but it was allowed to go. Roynon was on a TR and got a free run for six points, but Allen stopped and it finished a 3-6.
The last heat was a good one with an unlucky finish for Matthew. Once again he used the outside of the first corner to go ahead with Woffinden in hot pursuit. It was close all the way, and coming off turn two of the last lap Woffinden burst down the straight and into the bend ahead of Wethers.
It was such a hard move that Matthew was forced wide and lifted, which gave Roynon a chance to grab a fortunate second spot.
A disappointing end for Monarchs but there was no hiding the fact that we had won by being a better team than a rather scrappy Rye House side.
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