BIG WIN IN FINAL LEAGUE MATCH

NEWS Saturday 19th September 2015, 2:02am

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

The Border Roofing Monarchs closed out their league programme tonight with a 61-32 win over Berwick, ensuring that we finish 6 points clear at the top of the table – but after 8 heats such a result did not seem likely.

After a very sluggish start, with Justin Sedgmen testing engines and the Bandits coming up with some good rides, we sat at a dismal 27-24 advantage over the patched-up Bandits after 8 heats (having just lost a 1-8 in the eighth heat).

That was frankly pathetic and it seemed to waken up the team as well, with the realisation that we face some tough matches in the weeks to come. From heat 9 onwards we only dropped a single point over 7 heats to finish up with that impressive-looking result.

For getting us back on the rails we have to thank the reserves quite a bit. Craig Cook was on a paid maximum, and Kevin Wolbert and Sam Masters dropped just a point each, but we needed backup and going into heat 9, we were not really getting it.

That’s when our reserves got going. Max Clegg was at the back as Kevin Wolbert led, and when Doolan and Garcia got themselves tangled up, Clegg pounced to race into second place for a 5-1. We then took a 4-2, and then wonder of wonders, Max even started making the gate!

He got ahead of Kenneth Hansen in heat 11 and raced home for the win with Sam Masters covering his back, and then Rob Branford joined in with a paid win behind Kevin in heat 12.

Cook and Masters produced a powerhouse heat 13 5-1 and then Clegg was at it again joining Justin Sedgmen for a heat 14 5-1.

Cook and Masters did it again in heat 15 and we had turned a close match into a rout with a 34-8 advantage over the last 7 races.

It will not be like this next week but at least we looked a bit more like the table-toppers we are over the second half of the match.

Full Result Details