Bandits plunder the points

REPORT Friday 8th April 2016, 11:50pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

The weather was again very cold and damp at Armadale but this time the meeting went ahead, with a deserved League Cup victory for Berwick who held on to win 46-44. It wasn’t the opening we were looking for.

Bandits took the lead in heat 5 and never relinquished it. There were times when we seemed to be clawing things back, but whenever we did we then lost vital points with the 1-5 reversals in heats 5 and 11 proving crucial.

Border Roofing Monarchs’ skipper Sam Masters said “It was never going to be easy with two new boys in the side, so we needed the heat leaders to win most of the races. Some of our side just didn’t gate well enough.”

When rain started prior to the meeting, it must have been expected that either the match would be called off or the action would be disappointing. In fact while gating was generally pretty crucial, there was some very competitive racing, with heat two an absolute standout.

In this one Liam Carr gated with Matthew Wethers trying to nurse him round, but Max Clegg hitting the wider line and battling to pass the visiting pair. He was close on every bend and came through between them at the start of lap three, only for Wethers to edge back in front. Clegg wasn’t finished though and pulled off an outside pass to take a brilliant victory.

In fact Max produced several more overtakes in his paid 10 score, and was one of the home successes.

Sam Masters shot to the front in every heat and never looked like being beaten but the heat leader backup was not quite there – just one win each for Kevin Wolbert and Ryan Fisher. Generally they gated poorly although Fisher made typically massive efforts to make up lost ground.

He did pick up a third place from the back in heat 13 as he shot across Jorgensen with his front wheel in the air. The Bandits’ Dane might have been unsettled because he came off the back of his machine close to the finish.

Erik Riss started poorly but finished with five from his last two, and both the new boys showed glimpses of the potential they have. They certainly didn’t let anyone down.

For the winning team, Theo Pijper and Kevin Doolan played important roles. Theo won three heats with some smooth starting, and Kevin won his first two followed by three seconds.

Matthew Wethers predictably scored some vital points and Thomas Jorgensen was lively throughout.

Monarchs had got within two points at heat 10 and at that stage it looked like we might squeeze out a victory. However a 1-5 from Pijper and Jorgensen against Fisher gave us a great deal top do. Kevin Wolbert made his one decent start to win heat 12, and with Sam ahead in heat 13, we needed something from Ryan Fisher. That’s when he pulled off his unorthodox pass on Jorgensen.

Heat 14 was crucial and it seemed Erik Riss had made the gate, but crafty old Wethers slipped up the inside and held off all Erik’s efforts thereafter. That was a match winning ride from Matthew.

That meant we need a 5-1 for a draw in the last heat, and while Masters completed a comfortable maximum, Kevin Doolan fairly easily held on to second spot to ensure the Bandits first win at Armadale since 1998!

Full Result Details