Image Credit: Ron MacNeill

Monarchs Looking To Pillage The Points

PREVIEW Saturday 9th September 2017, 2:00pm

by Graham Muncie

  Edinburgh Monarchs

After completing the job and collecting the maximum 6 points at home on Friday night it’s a short trip down the A1 for the Parsons Peebles Monarchs as we take on the Berwick Bandits at Shielfield on Saturday night.

Our results coupled with a tremendous fight back by Redcar at home to Sheffield means it is all to race for as although the Monarchs have leapfrogged the Bears back into the playoff spots there is only 1 point in it so away points could be vital.

It is been a difficult season on track for the Bandits and they are guaranteed to finish bottom of the pile but this has been not been down to any lack of trying by the new promotion. The Borderers have had an absolutely appalling run of luck with injuries with only 2 of their starting 1-7 still in place in the form of Kevin Doolan and Dany Gappmaier.

That is not to say there have not been some success stories for the Bandits with both Nick Morris and former Monarch Jye Etheridge enjoying impressive seasons since they joined the Bandits. David Howe will also class his return from retirement as a success and Kevin Doolan has been his usual all action self and enjoyed a well deserved testimonial earlier in the season.

The Bandits have picked up form of late and will be looking for their 5th home win in a row and with the work the new promotional team have done this year a positive end with victories against the Monarchs and next week against the Sheffield Tigers would at least put a rosier outlook on the season The work that has went in at Berwick this year can only be applauded and long it may it continue.

For the Parsons Peebles Monarchs well we will be looking for a repeat performance from earlier in the season when we collected a 48-42 victory and 3 league points all the way back at the start of April. That victory was built on the brilliance of our top 3 alongside impressive performances by Josh and Mark and if all 5 can repeat their scores from that night then another victory could well be on the cards.

As previously mentioned though that was against a very

different Bandits line-up so who knows what is in store.

One note of concern for the Monarchs faithful was the withdrawal of Sam Masters from his last ride of the double header on Friday night, it being obvious that Sam was in some discomfort after coming down on his previously injured shoulder in an earlier race. Sam is made of tough stuff but unfortunately will miss the remainder of this weekends meetings. With a multitude of matches being raced tonight a suitable guest replacement is proving difficult to find althiugh the Monarchs are still hopeful we will find one for this match. If this does not prove to be the case then rider replacement will be utilized with all of the team capable of taking a ride.

Can the boys do it, well one thing is for sure we know they will be there giving their all and with a large and noisy Monarchs fan base on the back straight cheering them one step closer to a playoff place and a crack at a 5th title in 10 years.