Heavy Defeat At Lakeside

REPORT Saturday 19th May 2018, 9:31pm

by Graham Muncie

  Edinburgh Monarchs

The Staggs Bar Monarchs suffered their heaviest defeat of the season going down 54-36 at Lakeside on Saturday night.

The Monarchs were outclassed throughout providing only 5 race wins as the home team’s top 5 ran riot recording 44 points between them. They were ably backed up by the very impressive Zach Wajtknecht at reserve who romped to a paid 12 score also.

Team manager John Campbell said “I’m not surprised by the result but it’s disappointing to get a hammering. Only Edward Kennett and Matt Williamson had ridden the track before, and it’s obviously the most difficult track in the league to ride. Lakeside are a very well built home team and it will take a very good team to do well here. Adam Ellis was particularly brilliant.

“Max was very good in winning heat 7 but after he went from first to last in his next race, he admitted himself that he tried something and got it wrong. That was lack of experience round this place, and lack of experience overall.

“He was competitive at Peterborough and he was also competitive here. Edward Kennett got into it at the end, Erik and Max were OK but did lose one or two positions.”

For the Monarchs there was very little to cheer about heat 2 and 15 maximums and a heat 7 4-2 being the only heat advantages of the night and only Erik Riss, Max Ruml and Josh Pickering can take any solace from their nights work really.

Edward Kennett standing in for Ricky Wells started terribly although he did come to the party as the match progressed being unbeaten in heats 13 and 15 but by this point it was too late. Mark Riss had his worst match of the season recording only 1 point and Joel Andersson could not come to grips with the Arena Essex raceway circuit failing to trouble the scorers.

Josh Pickering battled manfully for his 6 point return but was often left to try and battle from the back due to some poor gating and with the home men fully dialled in this was always going to be a tough task.

There was at least a brighter outcome for fellow newcomer Max Ruml who had an impressive heat win over home heat leader Richard Lawson among his 5 points.

For the majority of the match though the main resistance would come from Monarchs captain Erik Riss as he recorded a brace of heat wins in his 12 point return.

It would have to be said this was perhaps not a match the Monarchs would have been targeting for a win given the strength and performances of the home team so far this season but the manner of defeat will still rankle and a few in the Blue and Gold camp may need to take stock of their performances with a big KO Cup weekend against Glasgow ahead.

Scorers:

Lakeside 54: Nick Morris 9, Ben Morley 7+1, Adam Ellis 12+1, Kyle Newman 8+2, Richard Lawson 8+1, Zach Wajtknecht 10+2, Alfie Bowtell 0

Edinburgh 36: Edward Kennett 9+2, Joel Andersson 0, Mark Riss 1, Max Ruml 5, Erik Riss 12, Matt Williamson 3, Josh Pickering 6+1

Full Result Details