Edinburgh Monarchs v Ipswich Witches

Ipswich had only three of their own riders lining up for this semi-final, but their guests were quite effective and only in the final two heats did the Border Roofing Monarchs pull clear with what looks like a decisive advantage.

There were travel problems for the Witches too. Rohan Tungate just made it before start time, while Richard Lawson missed his opening ride.

The home side were supplying virtually all the race winners, so the margin was going to depend on how many points the backup riders could supply. Circumstances decreed that Ipswich had their top two scorers in their opening pair which gave them a lop-sided look.

The most eventful racing in the early stages involved the reserves. Max Clegg started with a win and then passed Ashley Morris in a good battle in heat 7, before blowing a motor. You never know what Rob Branford is going to do from one bend to the next; he also had a good pass on Morris in heat 4 but lost it again, but later he redeemed himself with a fast gate and smooth ride in heat 14.

Meanwhile Craig Cook and Kevin Wolbert were masters of all they surveyed. Cook broke his own track record in heat 1 and was untroubled until heat 13 when Lawson shot from the tapes. Cook hunted him down and thundered past down the home straight at the end of lap three, but carried just too much speed into the pits bend and lost the position again.

No such problems for the impeccable Wolbert, who joined Cook for a last heat 5-1 by a wide margin over the two top Witches.

Erik Riss was up and down but made an important contribution, while it was a tough night for the usually super-smooth Sedgmen. Both Worrall and Lawson gave him a hard time at various stages, and he took a hefty tumble on the first corner of heat 6 but was fortunately OK to continue.

Ipswich’s backup riders kept trying hard enough, but they probably didn’t score enough to give them much chance of reaching the final.

Edinburgh Monarchs v Ipswich Witches

The dangerous Ipswich 'Sackers' Witches return to Armadale this Friday with a very different line-up for the first leg of the League Cup Semi-Final knowing that Monarchs are formidable on the road but have shown some vulnerability at home.

Monarchs came out on top 53-37 in the Premier League encounter at Armadale, and later drew 45-45 at Ipswich, so a repeat would do nicely. They'll certainly be looking for a healthy lead to take to Ipswich for the second leg in three weeks' time.

The Witches will have to beware because the triumphant Edinburgh Border Roofing Monarchs return to Armadale on the crest of a wave, having stunned their Premier League rivals (and a Sky TV audience) with three successive away wins.

With Sam Masters (badly broken hand) and Nico Gino Manzares (insect bite reaction) both out, it will be six-a-side again with rider replacement operating. Ipswich also track three guests. Monarchs will be hoping they are not as effective as the two chosen by Peterborough last week.

GB international, Danny King has been 'sent to Coventry' and thus misses this fixture. His guest replacement at No.1 is Richard Lawson, riding for Glasgow this season, which revives his old rivalry with the on-fire Craig Cook from their Workington days.

Justin Sedgmen at No.2 has been described as being in the form of his life, and few would argue as his partnership with Craig Cook must be the most formidable in the Premier League. Former Diamond and Witch, Richie Worrall who rides with Somerset Rebels this year guests for Nico Covatti (badly broken finger).

Kevin Wolbert has been piling up the points at No.3 with some truly determined riding. Rider replacement operates for one of the now rare American riders, Gino Manzares from California who will celebrate his 22nd birthday on Saturday but is out due to a very bad reaction to an insect bite.

Crucial to how well Monarchs perform is 19-year-old Erik Riss who showed a new side to his ability in the televised match from Somerset. He will be well matched by the Witches' No.4, Cameron Heeps from Western Australia, also 19, but with four seasons head start on the German.

Master of Armadale, Sam Masters is sorely missed and his absence will once again have to be covered by rider replacement. The experienced 25-year-old Australian, Rohan Tungate returns to fill the No.5 slot for Witches after sitting out a three-week SCB ban.

Simon Nielsen, who rides for Newcastle, guests at No.6 for Stefan Nielsen who is required for U-21 'duty'. This will be an excellent challenge for Max Clegg who will be expected to hit the ground running and make the most of home advantage.

Former Monarch, 21-year-old Ashley Morris from Wolverhampton who rode in the blue and gold as far back as 2010 fills the No.7 slot for the Witches. He could give Rob Branford a considerable headache since he is more than capable of double figure scores from reserve.

There may be a few nerves on the home side of the pits after last week's cliffhanger, so they will want to build an early lead to give them some breathing space. A lot will hinge on the performance of the two top Ipswich guests and of course the battle of the reserves.

Monarchs will start as favourites, but they must try to avoid the many last places which cost them so dearly against Peterborough. There are no weak links in the Witches line-up, so they can keep the scores close, especially if there are any Monarchs' slip-ups.

It seems as though the fixtures just get tougher and tougher as the season nears a conclusion, and this one is no exception. Over two legs, Ipswich will be a tough nut to crack. Make sure you don't miss any of the action. Tapes up at 7.30 sharp.

Likely line-ups:

EDINBURGH BORDER ROOFING MONARCHS: Craig Cook (capt.), Justin Sedgmen, Kevin Wolbert, Erik Riss, R/R for Sam Masters, Max Clegg, Rob Branford.

IPSWICH WITCHES: Richard Lawson (guest), Richie Worrall (guest), R/R for Gino Manzares, Cameron Heeps, Rohan Tungate, Simon Nielsen (guest), Ashley Morris.