Edinburgh Monarchs v Sheffield Tigers

REPORT Friday 22nd May 2015, 10:00pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

When this tie came out of the hat it looked like an excellent match-up between two of the league's strongest sides.

Unfortunately the fates have been unkind to Sheffield in recent weeks and by the end of the two-day contest they were left with two guests and three of their own riders fit. Edinburgh rode well but it was all too easy. Tigers' reserves took 13 rides between them in this match and were out together four times.

Sheffield had to line up their two guests in their opening pairing, and they got off to a great start. Steve Worrall made a characteristic fast start and Lasse Bjerre cut inside the home pair up the back straight and got into second, completing the 5-1.

Whether there had been any contact between Masters and Bjerre was hard to discern but Masters was clearly aggrieved, and the pair collided after the race with Masters continuing to press his point until dissuaded from doing so.

Heat 2 featured a good battle between Josh Bates and Rob Branford behind Max Clegg, and when Ashley Birks and Jason Garrity made the gate in heat 3, it seem for a brief moment that Sheffield were going to make a real fight of things.

Birks though wobbled leaving the second bend, which caused Justin Sedgmen to lay his bike down with Birks being excluded. Monarchs took a 5-1 in the rerun and from that point on there was little doubt about the outcome.

Bjerre won his second race impressively, was then beaten by top home man Craig Cook and thereafter didn't add a further point. Stevie Worrall's evening went in the same direction and it was left to Jason Garrity to pick up a couple of late victories in his eye-catching style.

All of the home riders cashed in with wins or paid wins right through the side. Cook looked back to his best, Kevin Wolbert again was excellent and Erik Riss gets more impressive with every ride.

Full Result Details