SUPERB HOME LEG GIVES US A 21-POINT LEAD

NEWS Friday 25th September 2015, 11:57pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

The Border Roofing Monarchs exceeded the expectations of their support with a focussed and determined performance which earned a highly satisfactory 55-34 advantage after the first leg of the League Cup Final against Glasgow Tigers.

Did anyone on either side expect such an outcome? If anyone did they weren’t saying, but right from the opening heat the home riders were in hungry mood. The trophy is not ours yet by any means but we have given ourselves a very good chance.

Everyone in the home camp felt that the loss of Max Clegg, so effective in recent home meetings, might cost us crucial points. Perhaps it did, but no-one present could possibly complain about the efforts of stand-in Coty Carcia, who unbelievably outscored and also defeated Tigers’ no. 1 Richard Lawson.

The pattern of the match was a steady piling of points by the Monarchs. Cook and Sedgmen raced away for 5 in heat 1, then Rob Branford cleverly cut past the Tigers’ reserves to win heat 2.

Top Tiger Aaron Summers gated from the inside in heat 3 – but a fiercely determined Kevin Wolbert sliced past him out of turn two for a great win with Riss heading Nieminen. 12-6.

Sam Masters beat Nick Morris in heat 4, then we took another 5-1 in heat 5 as Riss and Wolbert easily beat Lawson and Sarjeant. 20-10 but no TRs tonight.

The only obviously jumped start occurred in heat 6 where Morris got a clear flier from gate 1, only for both Cook and Sedgmen to round him on the first two bends without any problem, saving the referee’s blushes.

So far so good but Tigers hit back in heat 7 as Summers and Nieminen easily headed Sam Masters and pulled the deficit back to 10.

Sedgmen kept up the good work in heat 8 with a win, and Rob Branford added another good point over Palovaara, so we were 12 up, adding another two when Wolbert won again in heat 9 with Erik Riss beating Stichauer.

How could it be going so well? When was the Tigers’ fight back coming? Their support must have been wondering.

Another two 4-2’s followed. Aaron Summers managed to split the Cook – Sedgmen pairing, then we had an exciting heat 11 to enjoy. Not only did Sam Masters gate but Coty Garcia was with him as well, ahead of Sarjeant and Lawson! Coty battled round 3 laps in second spot, and down the back straight, before a slightly wide last turn let Sarjeant grab second. But he had got a great point!

We were now 18 ahead. Wolbert beat Summers again in heat 12 but Branford unaccountably let a comfortable third place slip against Stichauer, who was simply gifted a point.

Heat 13 saw our big two out and as ever, they made the start and took a 5-1.

Heat 14 looked as though it might be a bit of a tough one with Riss and Garcia, but Erik made the start and rode a wide fast first corner to lead – only to sit down on the third corner. Rerun, and a better start for Garcia, and this time Stichauer fell on the first turn and was ruled out.

Finally Nieminen just managed to squeeze ahead of Garcia for a Tigers’ 3-2. That brought their total of heat wins to two.

Craig Cook didn’t make a quick start off gate 4 in the last heat but he absolutely scorched round the airfence to go ahead and win easily. Kevin brought up the rear but the final result of 55-34 satisfied the hungriest Monarchs’ fanatic on the night.

We start again on Sunday aiming to finish the job.

Full Result Details