Well well a nice surprise

POST MATCH UPDATE Saturday 16th April 2016, 10:15pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

We have pulled off some surprises over the years but tonight's 48-42 victory over Berwick was right up there with the best of them.

The way the team is built this year, we obviously need big points from the top four while the others find their feet. Tonight they were so impressive that we managed a remarkable 12 race winners with Ryan Fisher leading the way with a paid maximum.

It was vintage Fish, fast starts and some great first bends, finishing with a lovely pass on Theo Pijper to win the last race.

It was a long, long meeting on a cold night, and a difficult track affected by the weather. It looks as though the fallers (mostly Bandits) have emerged unscathed.

We took the lead in the opening race and were never behind, and one of the most notable rides was a second place for Dan Bewley in heat two. He looked stylish and confident, holding off a challenge on the opening lap from Carr and staying close to Wethers for the four laps.

Unfortunately Dan then hit machine trouble in heat four and had to switch bikes, finding his previously untried second bike awkward to ride. But that heat two ride is surely a sign of things to come.

From heat three we had a remarkable sequence of race wins - seven in a row - and it didn't take long to dawn on everyone that we were in with a very real chance. We were winning some of the heats by massive distances.

Masters, Fisher and Wolbert were all unbeaten up to heat 9 and the vital backup was coming from Riss with good third places in his first two rides then a powerful win in heat 8.

At heat 9 we led 29-25 but then suffered our first real setback as Jorgensen and Pijper levelled the scores by beating Wolbert.

Right away we hit back with Riss taking his second win while Sam watched his rear. They had to hit the front twice because Matthew Wethers hit the fence hard at the first time of asking. Matthew needed treatment but later returned to the fray.

So we were four up and this time didn't lose the lead. Wolbert rode a superb first turn with Doolan trying everything to force him off his line, scoring a vital win which was sportingly acknowledged by Berwick announcer Dennis McCleary.

In this heat Max Clegg had his best ride, nearly catching Carr, but we do need Max to get more involved at the first corners.

In heat 13 it was pretty clear that Jorgensen had decided his best chance of success was by jumping the start, but in fact Alden beat him into the tapes at the first running and was excluded. At the second attempt he tangled with replacement Liam Carr as Sam drove under him.

Eventually Masters and Fisher raced away to maintain their unbeaten runs, the only danger being that Ryan looked like he might run into Sam's back wheel.

8 up with two heats left is no bad position, and Jye made a big effort to clinch victory in heat 14. He held second till the end of lap two when Wethers came under him with what was the first pass of the meeting.

So we needed a second place in the final heat for victory, or a 5-1 for all four points, and we had two unbeaten riders. Theo Pijper made the first start but Fisher was rounding him, and Doolan trying to go even wider outside Fisher. Doolan came off and needed attention for a hand injury.

Eventually Pijper was away again but Fisher pulled off a great overtake at the end of lap three, cutting back under Theo into the straight. Reminscent of Ryan's late-season form in 2010 and long may it continue.

Indeed a tremendous effort by all of the team who are going to be well worth watching this season.

Full Result Details