Edinburgh Monarchs v Scunthorpe Scorpions

This was Edinburgh's biggest win of the season, a very one-sided match indeed.

The track this week looked excellent, in spite of a steady drizzle, allowing riders to race at close quarters as you would always wish them to.

Unfortunately though there was only David Howe in the visiting side capable of keeping up with the home men on a regular basis, and even David ran out of steam, but not before he had been involved in two outstanding heats with Craig Cook.

In heat 7 Howe gated, but Cook came from the back of the field to burst through, a move which was followed by a couple of laps of criss-crossing, passing and repassing before Cook took control.

Four heats later Howe got his revenge, also from the back, making up ground and making his move on the last lap. He first rode a wide corner, then burst through on the inside down the straight.

Steve Worrall and Ben Wilson also won heats, and Thomas Jorgensen got some reward for his stylish efforts, but that was that. Scorpions were missing Tero Aarnio and Richard Hall though neither is an Armadale specialist.

Kevin Wolbert, Andrew Tully and Matthew Wethers were all completely dominant, and there were plenty of points for the other home men. The match was killed off as early as heat 5 when the outstanding Tully-Wethers pair teamed up to fend off the hard-challenging Howe (on a TR), one of four successive 5-point heats for Monarchs.

Scorpions didn't bother with a second TR and right enough, it wouldn't have made any difference.

Edinburgh Monarchs v Scunthorpe Scorpions

When tenth-placed Monarchs face sixth-placed Scunthorpe Scorpions at Armadale on Friday night (7.30).they will be looking to quickly recover from the serious damage inflicted by their encounters with Glasgow last month in terms of dropped Premier League points, injured riders and badly damaged equipment.

The visitors from North Lincolnshire are led by the familiar face of David Howe who has been riding a speedway bike for twenty of his twenty nine years ? well not all the time, he does get off the bike occasionally. Opposing him, the home fans will be looking for Kevin Wolbert to be back to his best.

At No.2 is Ben Wilson, sampling his third season of life away from his home track in Sheffield where he rode for several years. The former British Under-21 Champion lines up against Kalle Katajisto whose form has been a worry at times for the home support this season.

Andrew Tully faces one of the most exciting young Danish prospects at No.3 in Tommy Jorgensen who is still only in his first season of Premier League speedway. Andrew has been one of Edinburgh's most solid Armadale perforners, but with a score of paid 18 against Glasgow behind him, Tommy will provide a serious challenge.

Former Sheffield rider Richard Hall started the season as captain of Leicester and, as someone who rides in longtrack events, he is known to favour the bigger tracks. He misses this visit to the tight Armadale circuit with an injury, so Matthew Wethers is the Monarch who has to deal with rider replacement at No.4.

Craig Cook will be facing a hard-racing guest in Emiliano Sanchez at No.5 due to the absence of Tero Aarnio. Craig is another whose form overall has seen some peaks and troughs, so he will be looking for a strong finish to his first season in the blue and gold.

After bursting back onto the Armadale scene recently, Byron Bekker will be aiming for a steadier showing when he lines up opposite 21-year-old Danish rider Michael Palm Toft, a former World 80cc Champion, who has made a big impression in his first two months in UK speedway.

Kyle Howarth has a big weekend coming up at the NLRC at Rye House so he will be aiming for a morale-boosting score against Steve Worrall from St Helens whose twin brother Richie rides for Newcastle, both of whom will both be riding against him for the top individual National League title.

After a strong showing at Scunthorpe, Monarchs will go into this fixture as firm favourites. Three points would put them back in the hunt for a top six place but the management, riders and fans will be hoping the run of poor Friday weather relents to let Alan Bridgett and his crew get the track back into tip-top condition.

Likely line-ups:

EDINBURGH SCOTWASTE MONARCHS: Kevin Wolbert, Kalle Katajisto, Andrew Tully, Matthew Wethers (capt.), Craig Cook, Byron Bekker, Kyle Howarth.

SCUNTHORPE SCORPIONS: David Howe (capt.), Ben Wilson, Thomas Jorgensen, Richard Hall R/R, Emiliano Sanchez (guest), Michael Palm Toft, Steve Worrall.