Edinburgh Monarchs v Somerset Rebels

On a rare sunny Armadale night Somerset looked on paper like a side who could give Edinburgh a tough match.

They didn’t ride badly but they ran into a home team on their best form of the season, everyone scoring at least 5.

Craig Cook repeated his performance of the night before with five race wins, and his only problem at the moment seems to be that some of his starts are so fast that the referee pulls them back as too good to be true!

Even Jason Doyle could do no more than keep Cook just about in sight. The Aussie was the best performer for the Rebels but took until heat 11 to win a heat. That was the second and final Rebels’ race winner, the other one having come in very dodgy fashion in heat 4.

Jesper B Monberg went right across the first turn in this race, running into the fence and falling, and causing Andrew Tully to virtually stop. By this time Tom Perry and Marcel Helfer had sped on down the back straight and surely the only explanation for this heat not being stopped might be that the referee was blinded by the sun.

This win for Perry encouraged the Rebels to use him for their second TR in heat 8, which brought about a very entertaining race as Alex Davies tried to slow up Derek Sneddon to help Perry through, only for Sneddon to force his way to the front on the final bend.

Edinburgh had some excellent performers. Matthew Wethers looked sharper than he has all season and only lost points due to a broken chain in heat 14. His partner Theo Pijper was equally effective until he stopped while leading heat 9, and suffered the same fate in the final race.

And perhaps most encouraging of all, Jozsef Tabaka came back from a clash with Kyle Newman in heat 2 which saw both men hit the fence hard, to score a highly impressive 9 in very smooth style.

Andrew Tully rode well enough also and Marcel Helfer gave his best home show yet. For the Rebels Sam Masters gave reasonable backing to Doyle but the experienced duo of Monberg and James Wright looked well below par.

Edinburgh Monarchs v Somerset Rebels

Having finally struck gold at Sheffield after two 'silvers' at Leicester and Somerset this week, Monarchs will be doubly determined to extend their unbeaten home Premier League run when they tackle the second placed side, Somerset Rebels at Armadale tonight (7.30).

In an awesome match up between two superb PL riders, Craig Cook, who has so magnificently risen from the disappointments of last year to claim the No. 1 spot this term, pits his skills against the fiery Australian Jason Doyle who has starred for Newport and Poole as well as the Rebels.

Derek Sneddon should find track conditions much more to his liking this week after last week's rain drenched nightmare. His opposite number is another Australian, but one who was actually born in Northampton and who has settled well into the Rebels side after a couple of difficult seasons, Alex Davies.

Theo Pijper should be full of confidence after playing a starring part in the win at Sheffield when he lines up at No.3 opposite a third Australian and the current Premier League Riders Champion, Sam Masters, now in his third UK season and his third with Somerset.

Monarchs captain Matthew Wethers will need all his guile against the Premier League Riders Champion of 2007, James Wright from Stockport who is best remembered in these parts for his spells with Workington but who also has lots of Elite League experience to call on.

There's another great contest at No.5 where Andrew Tully will need to be at his Armadale best against 34-year-old Danish rider Jesper B Monberg, an excellent injury replacement signing who has turned in some mightily impressive performances on previous visits to the Scotwaste Arena.

Monarchs will be hoping their own injury replacement, the popular Hungarian rider Jozsef Tabaka, is fit to line up opposite Kyle Newman at No.6. Jozsef has already shown signs of being a potential match-winner and he will hope to pile up the points against young Kyle from Poole.

Recent German signing Marcel Helfer is still learning the best lines around Armadale's tight turns and he will be hoping to get the better of Somerset's talented 20-year-old No.7, Tom Perry who is also in his first full PL season after a successful couple of years with Dudley Heathens.

Edinburgh have the chance at last to make significant charge up the league table but Somerset are not second in the league for nothing and will be seriously looking to take a point or four back south. If their top five all click and their reserves hold their own, any result is possible.

This is a must win match for Monarchs, especially with hardly time to draw breath before the visit of league leaders, Newcastle, just 24 hours later. This weekend will be the making or breaking of Edinburgh's quest for a play-off spot so they will need all your support from the terraces.

It looks like sunshine speedway should be making a welcome return to Armadale at last. Monarchs will start as favourites but don't read too much into their close result at Somerset. This should be a close match and one to remember, so make sure you get there early for a 7.30 start.

Likely line-ups:-

EDINBURGH SCOTWASTE MONARCHS: Craig Cook, Derek Sneddon, Theo Pijper, Matthew Wethers (capt.), Andrew Tully, Jozsef Tabaka, Marcel Helfer.

'CASES' SOMERSET REBELS: Jason Doyle (capt.), Alex Davies, Sam Masters, James Wright, Jesper B Monberg, Kyle Newman, Tom Perry.