Victory by the smallest margin

NEWS Saturday 18th May 2019, 1:18am

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

The Staggs Bar Monarchs won their first Championship match tonight against Leicester, the team rated the toughest in the division, by just a single point, 45-44.

The victory was virtually clinched when Joel Andersson took second spot in heat 14 leaving Monarchs needing just a finisher in the final race. The Swede said "A win's a win and I think we did a good job. we might have scored more thinking of heat 12 when Luke fell off when on a 5-1 but that happens, we managed to get the win and that's all that is important.

"Everyone has struggled a little at times so far so it was a good meeting to win, I felt I was gating well then losing drive into the corners but it's getting better every week and I'm happy. We are a good team"

It was an intriguing match full of talking points, and when Monarchs stood 35-25 ahead after ten heats it perhaps looked as though they were going to win fairly comfortably. However anyone looking ahead would have realised that with the formidable duo of Scott Nicholls and Richie Worrall in two of the last three heats, it was likely to be a tight finish.

Monarchs initially went ahead in heat 2 with a 5-1, and took advantage of a tape-touch by Worrall to take a heat 6 5-1 through Wells and Sedgmen, the latter giving his most convincing display so far (with Sam Masters in his pit crew). Sedgmen also won heat 8. Worrall won a great battle with Pickering in heat 9, then Sedgmen backed Wells once more in heat 10 as Monarchs built their advantage to 10.

Heat 12 was dramatic with Luke Ruddick almost ensuring victory on the night as he held second spot behind partner Josh Pickering. It was such a brave race by the youngster, but moments after Josh Bates fell at the back, Luke lost control with his bike lifting into the fence down the straight. For some reason the referee, who had awarded heat 8 after a crash, ruled that the race should be rerun with the two fallers excluded.

Pickering won from Perks and Monarchs were 9 up with just three races left. In heat 13 Worrall and Nicholls made strong starts with home no. 1 Ricky Wells poorly away, and it was left to Cameron Heeps to do the chasing of the team riding Lions' pair. He put everything into it but it seemed he would come up just short, until a last gasp bid off the final corner saw him snatch second away from Nicholls on the line. That was the only heat the brilliant Nicholls did not win in his six rides, but a reward for tenacity and bravery by Heeps.

A second place in heat 14 from Joel Andersson was enough to ensure victory as long as one of the Monarchs finished in heat 15, which is what happened with Nicholls and Worrall dominating the heat. Leicester came up just short but took a point, and if they are looking back they will probably regret not taking the 5-1 in heat 13, or the misfortunes of Josh Bates, or perhaps the slightly hasty tac sub move in heat 7 in which Ryan Douglas was taken out of a ride. The Aussie finished with 7 from just 3 rides.

That's what it is like when a match is so close, these things are recalled. Leicester won an away match 45-44 recently but now they have lost one by the same margin, and Monarchs have three points to start their league campaign.

Full Result Details