Edinburgh Monarchs v Scunthorpe Scorpions

REPORT Friday 23rd May 2008, 10:00pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

Scunthorpe didn't look strong enough to give us problems, especially with reserve Bergstrom injured, but our side were outstanding in any case and won at a canter.

It was a particularly impressive night for our first three riders to record maximums in official matches this season - William Lawson and Andrew Tully flew to full maximums while Matthew Wethers was content to support his partner for much of the evening and record a paid 5-ride maximum.

We wouldn't want it like this every week but it was a pleasure to see the team going so well. Only Magnus Karlsson with 2 wins achieved anything in opposition, indeed other than an engine failure in heat 1 for Thomas Jonasson, none of the other Scorpions beat a Monarch.

That Jonasson stoppage plus Karlsson's win in heat 3 meant we were restricted to a 4-point lead after heat 3. This came as a result of a heat 2 5-1 in which Aaron Summers got into terrible trouble on the opening bends but came back to pick of the opposition reserves.

We then embarked on a series of 5-1s, six in all, to kill off the match. Derek Sneddon had a tapes exclusion in heat 5, in which Fisher had a passing duel with Wilkinson before securing second spot behind reserve replacement Tully.

Karlsson took a TR in heat 7 but was swallowed up round the first turn by Tully and Wethers with a brilliant double pass. Magnus actually fell on the final lap but remounted for the point.

Most of the hard work was done round the first corner by the home riders but there were two exceptions. Karlsson gated on Lawson in heat 10, but William coolly used his inside line cutback to eventually ease his way past. He is very hard to beat round Armadale these days.

In the final heat Richard Hall had his best ride, holding second for a couple of laps and blocking Matthew's inside line. The Wethers answer was to move out and pass him round the outside.

All very efficiently and skilfully done by everyone, but harder tasks lie ahead, especially with upcoming absences for under-21 events.

HERMISTON MONARCH OF THE MATCH: Andrew Tully