Big win over Brummies but Cameron injured

REPORT Saturday 24th August 2019, 1:16am

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

The Staggs Bar Monarchs recorded their second highest total of the season tonight in the 30-point Championship victory over Birmingham Brummies, but the downside was a heat 4 pileup which caused injury to key man Cameron Heeps.

Assuming broken ribs are confirmed Monarchs will have to think of the best way of replacing their Aussie for the run-in, in which they probably need to win all six of their remaining fixtures to reach the Playoffs. It just got harder.

The track came in for a lot of praise from the riders and senior reserve William Lawson said "It had just the right of dirt on it tonight, I quite enjoyed it. I feel I'm getting better, I just try to make improvements every week.

"I watched Connor Coles in his last couple of rides and he impressed me. He has found it difficult in the wet recently but it will have done him good tonight to get some good points."

The heat 4 incident occurred when race leader Jason Garrity spun off while leading, right in the path of Heeps who tried to swerve round him but clattered head first into the air fence. Birmingham reserve Nick Agertoft, who had won heat 2, sustained a foot injury when he joined the melee, and he didn't ride again either.

The only visitors to make much impression were Adam Ellis (2 race wins), Garrity (winner of heat 15) and Tero Aarnio who normally struggles badly at Armadale.

Pickings were fairly easy for the Monarchs' men though none scored a maximum. Sam Masters couldn't catch Garrity in heat 15, and the only points lost to the opposition by Ricky Wells and Josh Pickering came in heat 5 even though they were initially on a 5-1 in this race.

Returning Dane Tobias Thomson came down on the opening lap and appeared to make no attempt at all to clear the track, giving Ellis an opportunity in the rerun which he duly took.

Monarchs' backup riders also did well, James Sarjeant scoring in every ride and totalling 9, with 11 points coming from reserves Connor Coles and William Lawson.

Coles has been struggling in recent weeks, riding tentatively and getting into difficulties, but he responded to an instruction from Sam Masters to "attack the track!" and did much better in his final heats. He came very close to passing Adam Ellis in heat 11 and this might be a sign of better things to come for the popular no. 6.

But it was too one-sided to be a memorable meeting, and the loss of Heeps is definitely a cause for regret.

Full Result Details