Edinburgh Monarchs v Sheffield Tigers

PREVIEW Friday 6th June 2014, 12:00pm

by Gordon Fraser

  Edinburgh Monarchs

Having travelled north five weeks ago on league business only for rain to be the winner, the weather is set fair for the league Cup Semi-Final visit this Friday of the Sheffield Tigers who are the latest challengers to try their hands at ending the Scotwaste Monarchs' incredible unbeaten run.

It's been a familiar story for the Tigers recently with a further six out of their ten scheduled matches washed out since the start of May. And after coming through a very tough looking League Cup section, they lost three matches in a row, one of them at home to Scunthorpe for the second time!

The very much-changed 2014 version of the Tigers is led from No.1 by the still youthful looking 31-year-old Simon Stead who is back with Sheffield after a 10-year absence. He should prove a worthy challenger to Monarchs majestic points scoring machine and new track record holder, Craig Cook.

Sheffield use rider replacement at No.2 for the second highest rider in their averages, Ty Proctor (9.22) who will be riding for Wolverhampton. This means that any of the Tigers can take his place against the Monarchs rider who is quietly building up the points, Justin Sedgmen.

Look out for fireworks from No. 3 where Sheffield track the hugely experienced Leigh Lanham, now aged 36 and best known for a decade with Arena Essex but who is showing that he wouldn't be out of place back in the Elite league. Max Fricke is in Germany, so it's R/R at 3 for Monarchs.

Sheffield's No.4 had an early run out at Armadale last week as a guest of 'the other Tigers' from Glasgow. In at least one of those races he showed he is still prepared to battle it out with the best of them. The Monarchs skipper Derek Sneddon had a similar-ish meeting, so this should be a good contest.

Speaking of good match-ups, there's a cracker at No.5 where both sides track talented Australian riders who sat out the whole of last season in Oz. For Sheffield it's Taylor Poole who is sure to push up his average this year and for Monarchs it's the tall, mercurial Sam 'the master' Masters.

Great things are expected of Sheffield's No.6, Simon Nielsen, a 23-year-old Danish rider whose early progress was halted by a broken femur in June 2012. Sadly, Aaron Fox took a gamble with his injured thigh and lost, so his place for Monarchs will be taken by a National League guest.

However there should be another cracking match-up at No. 7 where Sheffield track the highly rated UK prospect, 17-year-old Josh Bates who doesn't look old enough to be out on his own, but who also rides with NL side Mildenhall and has just been signed by EL team Leicester Lions.

So that puts pressure on Steve Worrall for Monarchs to score a hatful of points at reserve, especially since this is just the first leg of the Semi-Final and Monarchs will need a healthy lead to take to Owlerton in the return fixture. But Steve also rides in all three leagues and will be up for the challenge.

As previously stated, it will be odd not seeing Neil Machin in charge, but a new promotion, a new set of riders and a new team manager in Joe Screen will perhaps bring a change in fortune for the Tigers who had slipped from the high standards they set in the days of Sean Wilson.

This tie could certainly be the proverbial game of two halves, with Sheffield being a big track side and the Scotwaste Arena being the opposite. But Monarchs haven't lost at home in 2014 whereas the former 'fortress Owlerton' has been breached twice already by Scunthorpe.

Monarchs have also won at the large expanses of Berwick and Workington, so perhaps they will rate their chances of winning both legs. But with riders missing and the visitors having plenty of previous Armadale experience, anything could happen. This should be a cracking match! Be there to cheer on your team. Tapes up at 7.30.

Likely line-ups:

EDINBURGH SCOTWASTE MONARCHS: Craig Cook, rider replacement for Max Fricke, Justin Sedgmen, Derek Sneddon (capt.), Sam Masters, guest replacement for Aaron Fox, Steve Worrall.

SHEFFIELD WINDOW CENTRE TIGERS: Simon Stead (capt.), rider replacement for Ty Proctor, Andre Compton, Taylor Poole, Leigh Lanham, Simon Nielsen, Josh Bates.

Full Result Details