Three points up for grabs in Bandits Visit

NEWS Thursday 1st May 2025, 11:16am

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

The Stellar Monarchs have won a match this season, but not at home! That unusual situation can be rectified this week if Monarchs can defeat this visiting Berwick Bandits, who come themselves with high hopes and (like Glasgow) a strong heat leader trio.

All four of the matches this season have finished with no more than four points between the sides, close contests with bags of entertainment and tension in the air throughout. It's not expected to be greatly different this week, with the additional interest that a win by more than four points will add the aggregate bonus against the Bandits as well as the two match points.

Like Monarchs, the Bandits have lost one of their initial septet recently, Jack Smith having come into their side this week to replace former Monarch Bastian Borke who has not fully recovered from last year's injuries. However their top three of Craig Cook, Drew Kemp and Peter Kildemand will give the home men plenty to think about.

New boy Jonatan Grahn, whose early efforts have pleased the Monarchs fans, says "I think now we have all had a couple of matches we can get going, it has not been what we wanted getting beat at home by Glasgow twice, but we showed what we can do at Ashfield and now we just need to put those behind us and move forward.

"I think we will do that, it is our time to start showing what we can do, and we need to start that this week, as I said we have a lot of home fixtures coming up, so we need to take advantage of that and start winning these matches."

Friday's match will be shown live on the British Speedway Network.

FRIDAY'S MATCH:

Friday 2nd May: Edinburgh Monarchs v Berwick Bandits (BSN Series), Armadale, 7:30pm

STELLAR MONARCHS: Justin Sedgmen, Kye Thomson, Jonatan Grahn, Paco Castagna (Capt.), Oskar Polis, Victor Palovaara, Matt Marson (Guest).

R. E. D. BANDITS: Craig Cook, Danyon Hume (Capt.), Sam Hagon, Drew Kemp, Peter Kildemand, Dayle Wood, Jack Smith.

Following the senior match, there will be a National Junior League match between West Lothian Wildcats and Berwick Academy.