Hammers next up at Armadale

PREVIEW Thursday 6th September 2018, 10:00am

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

It's still all to play for in the battle for the Playoff places and the immediate task for the Staggs Bar Monarchs is to repel the challenge of the Lakeside Hammers, one of the strongest-contending teams, when they visit Armadale on Friday.

It has been a traumatic year for the Hammers who have not raced in the same league as the Monarchs since 2003! For most of that time they were in the UK's top division, then briefly in the National League (third tier) but this year joined the Championship. Now they have been hit by the closure of their home venue (since 1984) and after next week it seems they will race their home matches at Rye House.

On-track they have been excellent this season led by Richard Lawson and Nick Morris, and with Adam Ellis making great strides. They are unbeaten at home in the league without even conceding a point to the opposition, and have had three away wins. They are also still in both the Championship Shield and the KO Cup.

Team manager Alex Harkess said "Ricky Wells said to me he thinks this could be our hardest match, basing that on the fact that they have three riders he believes will do very well round Armadale. I think these riders have done well, but not every time! It's up to us to dominate them and take the pressure off ourselves, and I'd like to think we will."

Also coming up in a few days is next Tuesday's visit to Glasgow, rained off recently, and if all that goes according to plan Monarchs' final Championship match will be next Friday against Berwick. Then… we will either have qualified for the Playoffs or we will not! Up ahead too will be the Knockout Cup.

THIS WEEK'S MEETINGS:

Friday 7th September: Staggs Bar Monarchs v Lakeside (Championship), 7:30pm

STAGGS BAR MONARCHS: Ricky Wells, Victor Palovaara, Josh Pickering, Richie Worrall, Erik Riss (captain), William Lawson, Joel Andersson.

LAKESIDE HAMMERS: Richard Lawson (captain), rider replacement for Kyle Newman, Nick Morris, Ben Morley, Adam Ellis, Zach Wajtnecht, Alfie Bowtell.

Full Result Details