INJURY PROBLEMS AS BIG WEEKEND APPROACHES

NEWS Wednesday 22nd April 2009, 8:31am

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

The Scotwaste Monarchs have three vital matches this weekend with Berwick the visitors to Armadale on Friday ? and two of our riders are struggling for fitness.

Andrew Tully crashed at Swindon on Monday and has bruising of the shoulder and chest, while Thomas H Jonasson suffered concussion in a crash at Vetlanda on Tuesday and has been advised to rest for a week. The Bandits arrive on Friday with their tails up after a big win at Newcastle last Sunday in which William Lawson scored a maximum.

TEAMS FOR THE PREMIER TROPHY MATCH AT ARMADALE ON FRIDAY 24th APRIL (start time 7.30, doors open 6.30) are:

SCOTWASTE MONARCHS: Ryan Fisher, Aaron Summers, Thomas H Jonasson, Andrew Tully, Matthew Wethers (captain), Michal Rajkowski, Sean Stoddart.

BERWICK BANDITS: William Lawson, Paul Clews (captain), Tero Aarnio, Josef Franc, Michal Makovsky, Danny Warwick, Gino Franchetti.

INJURIES: Monarchs' supporters watched on Sky as Andrew Tully spun off in heat 2 making his usual exciting efforts to pass.

Riding for his Elite club Peterborough at Swindon, he took two more rides but found he couldn't hold on to the bike and withdrew. He said ?I slid off and was watching Hansen behind me in case he ran me over. I didn't realise I was so near the fence and didn't brace myself properly as the bike hit me ? that's what did the damage.

?I was happy that I had travelled with Ryan Fisher because I doubt I could have driven home myself.

?It's still very painful but I am resting, bathing the injuries regularly, and it is certainly my intention to ride on Friday.?

Jonasson's problem came during a training meeting at Vetlanda, whose season hasn't started for real yet. He had scored 4 points from 2 rides and crashed in his third heat. He was taken straight to hospital.

He has been advised to rest for a week but we have yet to get Thomas's view directly as to whether he has a chance of returning faster than that.

TROPHY PROGRESS: Berwick's win at Newcastle brings them right into the reckoning, 2nd in the Premier Trophy northern group.

Monarchs are third and ride at Workington (Saturday) and Newcastle (Sunday). The latter is the meeting that everyone is targeting for away points.

MEETING SPONSOR: Friday night is Monarchs' first Legends Night with special guests Doug Templeton (Monarchs' captain 1960-69) and Brian Collins (Monarchs 1966-9, 1978-80, captain in the final 2 years). The night is sponsored by Friends of the Monarchs.

BANDITS GEL: Berwick topped fifty at Newcastle last Sunday and that will encourage them to believe they can make the Trophy semi-finals by taking one of the top two places in the section.

They come to Armadale with William Lawson having had his best meeting of the year at Newcastle, and of course everyone knows how good William was at Armadale last season. He was almost unbeatable for the first half of the season prior to injury, and last Sunday's maximum may be an indication that his best form is returning.

Bandits have often struggled at Armadale but with Lawson backed up by Michal Makovsky and Josef Franc, they have three riders who know their way round.

Their captain Paul Clews can also be a threat and given Monarchs' injury problems this could be the closest Armadale contest of the season.

LAST MEETING: Monarchs scored a 60-34 win over Workington at Armadale last Friday, with Andrew Tully the star of the show, winning all his five heats with some thrilling riding.

NEXT MEETING: Redcar Bears are also strong contenders for one of the qualifying places in the Premier Trophy, and they come to Armadale on Friday 1st May.