Newcastle Diamonds v Edinburgh Monarchs

Our job at Newcastle was clear – win the match on aggregate. Our usual method is to keep it tight from the start and not allow the other side a glimmer of hope, but on this occasion it didn’t go entirely to plan – the points dripped away from us without it ever really looking as though we might go down on aggregate.

Steve Worrall was an impressive winner of heat one, signalling a brilliant night for him, while Craig got stuck on the outside and had to pass Nielsen who eventually came off awkwardly.

Rob Branford battled with Nielsen for much of heat 2 but we eventually lost a 5-1, and although Kevin led heat 3 briefly he was passed on either side by Richie Worrall and Rosen and had to come back past the Swede for second.

Six down but we pulled 2 back in heat 4 with a win for Sam over Lindgren and a point for Branny. One or two heat advantages were going to make it so much harder for the Diamonds.

Heat 5 was controversial with two stoppages, warnings, a request for all riders to stay still and a harsh 2-minute exclusion for Craig. We still won the heat, Sedgmen giving Richie Worrall his only defeat and Craig belting round the boards for a breathless third over Rosen. At just 2 down now we were looking good.

We then lost two more 4-2s before Sedgy won heat 8, then another two 4-2s left us 10 down but still on schedule. Endless track gradings plus an interval were making it a long night.

Craig at last had a trouble-free heat to win heat 11 with Justin third, and even another two 4-2 losses (making it 7 of these in total) were enough to clinch our passage to the final, just before Erik won an excellent heat 14.

For once the dominant riders in the meeting were not on our side, and the Worrall brothers took a 5-1 in the last heat to make it 28+1 on the night for them.