Monarchs and Bandits do battle

NEWS Thursday 25th April 2024, 12:31pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

The ongoing cup-tie with Poole is set to one side for the moment as the Stellar Monarchs at last race their first home fixture of the season, welcoming the Berwick Bandits to Armadale on Friday for a vital match in the BSN series. Two match points and the aggregate bonus will be decided with Bandits having won by just four points when the teams met at Shielfield Park.

Berwick have made a good start to the season with home and away wins against Workington plus victories in both their home BSN ties against Edinburgh and Glasgow. They will be using Scunthorpe's Kyle Howarth as guest replacement for their injured number one Lewis Kerr, and of course they are captained by former Monarch Rory Schlein who knows Armadale so well.

Alex Harkess will have the team manager's reins for the home outfit, and he says "What the match is all about against Berwick is not just winning, but we have to get the bonus as well. We are only four down so it has to be a realistic ambition. I feel if they all produce what they are capable of then we will be OK."

Addressing the fact that the visitors have 2023 Monarch Bastian Borke at reserve, he added "We know that their reserve Bastian Borke could be a danger – he's as capable of winning a race as being last in a race, that's what he brings. So who knows? He kept making noises that he hadn't quite mastered Armadale, and maybe he hasn't – who knows. I'd like to believe that our two reserves will not be outscored by their two, that has to be their aim."

Friday's match will be Live Streamed by BSN (British Speedway Network) who come to Armadale for their first visit of the season on Friday.

FRIDAY'S MATCH:

Friday 26th April: Edinburgh Monarchs v Berwick Bandits (Championship), Armadale, 7:30pm

STELLAR MONARCHS: Josh Pickering, Lasse Fredriksen, Kye Thomson, Paco Castagna (captain), Justin Sedgmen, Max James, Connor Coles.

JEWSON BANDITS: Kyle Howarth (guest), Danyon Hume, Jye Etheridge, Drew Kemp, Rory Schlein (captain), Freddie Hodder, Bastian Borke.

MATCH SPONSORS are Thomson Cooper Accountants of Edinburgh and Dunfermline (0131 226 2233)

Full Result Details