EXCELLENT THREE POINTS GAINED

NEWS Friday 9th September 2011, 11:37pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

The Scotwaste Monarchs gave one of their best performances of the season tonight in adversity, beating Somerset 53-41 and taking all three points.

After another bad-weather Friday the track staff did a great job to get the track raceable and we were rewarded with an excellent meeting.

Monarchs started the match with Matthew Wethers and Kyle Howarth missing, apparently with not much in the way of replacements, and when they also lost Byron Bekker after a heat 2 crash the writing really seemed to be on the wall.

Obviously we needed our big guns to pull out all the stops, and they did in no uncertain fashion (41+1 from Wolbert, Tully and Cook with a dozen race wins).

In spite of plenty effort Kalle Katajisto still didn't get amongst the points, but there was a great show from our reserve guest Ashley Birks who was rewarded with the DDS Monarch of the Match award for his 8+1 score.

He gated well and competed fiercely and he deserved everyone's thanks for a very important performance. He would have wrapped up all three points with a third place in heat 14 but unfortunately his seat came adrift and he fell.

The points were secured anyway with a last heat 4-2, the only points dropped by Andrew Tully.

There were two long delays during the night, firstly for Byron's crash in heat 2 and then for James Holder who clipped Birks' back wheel in heat 8 and came down heavily after a high-speed wobble.

James had to take a hospital trip and we wish him well.

We've got this far down the report without saying much about the top three but they were all superb. Wolbert has probably never ridden better and his heat 11 win from the back over the speedy Gathercole was as good as anything he has ever done at Armadale.

Tully was cool,calm and collected, settling all his heats with some powerful first bend work.

Cook was also at his best, not gating all that well but powering through from the back in great style with some superb cutbacks.

Somerset would have to be disappointed to have missed their chance, and neither Sam Masters nor James Wright came up to expectations though Gathercole was excellent.

Tomorrow at Workington Kyle Howarth makes a surprise return, and Byron Bekker will also be riding. There is improvement in Matthew Wethers condition too though his return will take longer.

The team can be very happy with themselves tonight.

Full Result Details