ANOTHER TOUGH LEAGUE MATCH

NEWS Thursday 20th June 2013, 8:58am

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

This week’s visitors to Armadale are another of the Premier League’s top teams, Workington Comets. They are placed second in the table, 2 points behind Leicester with 2 matches in hand.

The Comets’ Armadale record isn’t great in recent times, but then nor is that of the Scotwaste Monarchs who have lost their last two home matches by a single point! Mind you Monarchs have also won their last FOUR away matches! The absence of Jozsef Tabaka with a broken foot makes Friday’s match another tough one.

TEAMS FOR THE PREMIER LEAGUE MATCH AT ARMADALE ON FRIDAY 21st June (start time 7.30, doors open 6.30) are:

SCOTWASTE MONARCHS: Craig Cook, Derek Sneddon (capt.), Claus Vissing, rider replacement for Jozsef Tabaka, Theo Pijper, James Sarjeant, Max Fricke.

WORKINGTON COMETS: Richard Lawson (capt.), Kyle Howarth, Rusty Harrison, rider replacement for Tero Aarnio, Rene Bach, Ashley Morris, Chris Mills.

JOZSEF’S PROGRESS: As confirmed yesterday, Jozsef Tabaka’s absence is hopefully not going to be as lengthy as first feared.

It is very hard to cover for riders 5th and 7th in the averages missing, and for the second season running that is the position we are in with Mitchell Davey also injured.

However Jozsef is hoping to be back a week on Friday, or failing that on Friday 5th July.

CRAIG DOES IT IN ELITE TOO! : Craig Cook has brilliantly won the last heat deciders in our last two away matches at Somerset and Newcastle, both 46-44 victories.

Fans will have noted that he did exactly the same thing in the Elite League on Monday!

His Elite team Belle Vue had trailed for all of the match against Swindon but Craig along with Matej Zagar recorded a last heat 5-1 for yet another 46-44 win!

No wonder our no. 1 has been selected for the Great Britain World Cup squad next month.

He is one of ten riders to be selected, and must have a great chance of making the team for the first event at King’s Lynn on 15th July. This is very much an ambition of Craig’s for this season.

CUP DELAY: After Monarchs’ sensational one-point aggregate win over Newcastle in the KO Cup quarter final, we await the winners of the Workington v Somerset tie.

The Comets won by 6 points in the first leg but the return at Somerset on Tuesday has unfortunately been abandoned due to an unfit track.

So we are still waiting!

MATCH SPONSORS: We are as always delighted to welcome Keyline Broxburn as match sponsors this Friday, their second visit of the season.

TOP SIDE: Workington have almost always been one of the leading sides in recent seasons. Sometimes their efforts have been hampered by injury, and although they have had some injuries this season these have not held them back.

They have not tended to do well at Armadale but of course that can change! Top man Richard Lawson has struggled sometimes on the West Lothian track, but as he is turning out in the Elite League for Lakeside, a tight circuit, and doing well, surely he must be a threat this week.

Rene Bach of course along with Lawson presents a formidable threat.

As with most successful sides, there are ex-Monarchs in the Comets’ lineup in Rusty Harrison, Kyle Howarth and Ashley Morris, all doing well this season. Howarth indeed is in the British World Cup squad!

Rider replacement will operate for Tero Aarnio, but Tero doesn’t have a good record at Armadale.

LAST MEETING: Monarchs lost their home leg of the KO Cup quarter final to Newcastle 44-45. However they went to Newcastle on Sunday and won the second leg 46-44!

Monarchs are now in the curious position of having lost their last two home matches, but won their last four away matches!

NEXT MEETING: The Scotwaste Monarchs once again come up against a top side the current league leaders Leicester on Friday 28th June at Armadale.