Edinburgh Monarchs v Newcastle Diamonds

REPORT Friday 10th April 2009, 10:00pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

Ryan Fisher and Aaron Summers led the way in a powerhouse performance by the Scotwaste Monarchs who hammered beleaguered Newcastle 64-26.

Our opening pair both recorded paid maximums and never looked in any difficulty. Andrew Tully and Matthew Wethers were pretty much in the same class but both lost just one point, in each case passed by an opposition rider, and with Thomas Jonasson (two wins) and Michal Rajkowski also weighing in with big scores, no wonder the Diamonds were massacred.

All seven indeed won heats while for Newcastle, only Kenni Larsen and Steve Boxall managed to take the chequered flag. Larsen made a reasonable Armadale debut and was his team?s best rider.

For Derek Sneddon, it was an unhappy return to Armadale. He was coming out as the second TR in heat 8 when he hit machine problems, and finished up with a 2-minute exclusion, and finally in heat 11 he fell on the pits turn.

Monarchs established their dominance right from the start. An easy 5-1 in heat 1 and another in heat 2, in which Sean Stoddart encouragingly barged his way to the front, established the pattern.

Kenni Larsen leapt from the tapes in heat 3 and it took Andrew Tully until the fourth bend of the opening lap to come alongside him. Andrew went in hard to the next corner and Larsen might have come down, but he retained control. He headed Thomas Jonasson to gain his team?s first scalp.

Matthew Wethers was soon clear in heat 4 but this time Sean Stoddart was stranded at the rear after losing ground on the first corner.

Andrew Tully got the better of a first lap duel with Derek Sneddon in heat 5, and late in the heat Steve Boxall pushed past Thomas Jonasson for a shared race.

Monarchs then returned to their most dominant and picked up five 5-1s on the trot. This included Larsen?s TR ride in heat 7, and Sneddon?s aborted follow-up in heat 8.

Heat 9 featured a superb first corner double pass by Jonasson (outside) and Tully (inside) on faster starting Jason King, and a first win for Thomas.

Kenni Larsen went off 15 metres in heat 10 after he had tried to get another flier and caught the tapes with the peak of his helmet.

Heat 11 was an interesting one. Rajkowski led with Wethers covering in his usual style, but Boxall pulled off a brilliant outside pass on Wethers. Before Matthew had a chance to come back, Boxall had shoved inside Rajkowski on the back straight, and thereafter he resisted Wethers? passing attempts.

Trent Leverington hit the outside line in heat 12 to go ahead, with Thomas Jonasson also riding wide to attempt to pass. Going into the final lap Thomas squeezed through the tiniest of gaps to go ahead with a spectacular pass.

Heat 13 was an easy 5-1, and when Andrew Tully passed Larsen to go ahead in heat 14 it looked like another win for him. But Larsen came back with an overtake of his own to become Diamonds? second race winner.

To finish with we had another of these sensational first corners from the home pair. Larsen and Boxall headed into the first corner ahead and must have fancied their chances, but Fisher flew round the fence to go ahead, joined by the remarkable Summers who shot up the inside.

Aaron?s riding all night was just about perfect and he looks the complete rider on his home track these days.

HERMISTON MONARCH OF THE MATCH: Aaron Summers.

Full Result Details