Title Partner
Poole Pirates
Team Manager: Neil Middleditch |
49 | ||||||||
| 1. Richard Lawson | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 14 | 0 | ||
| 2. Tobias Thomsen | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |||
| 3. Tom Brennan | 2* | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 1 | ||
| 4. Zach Cook | 3 | 1* | 2* | 2 | 8 | 2 | |||
| 5. Ben Cook | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1* | 8 | 1 | |||
| 6. Sam Hagon | F | 1 | FD | R | 1* | 2 | 1 | ||
| 7. Max Perry | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||||
Edinburgh Monarchs
Team Manager: John Campbell |
40 | ||||||||
| 1. Josh Pickering | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 0 | ||
| 2. Lasse Fredriksen | 1* | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | |||
| 3. Kye Thomson | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 0 | |||
| 4. Paco Castagna | 0 | 2 | 1* | 3 | 0 | 6 | 1 | ||
| 5. Justin Sedgmen | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | |||
| 6. Max James | 3 | 0 | XO | 0 | 1* | 4 | 1 | ||
| 7. Connor Coles | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||||
Stellar Monarchs battled hard throughout coming away with a respectable nine point deficit in the first leg of their KO Cup encounter at Poole on Wednesday night.
In a meeting that at times felt like it would never end due to first an electric issue with the red light then a malfunctioning starting gate that meant alternatives were needed for both the Monarchs did not let this get to them team manager John Campbell saying after, 'it was a battling display and I actually felt we maybe left a couple of points on the track at times, but we have to be happy with that and the second leg of finely poised.'
The match was tight throughout with the lead changing hands over the first few heats, first up Max James making it two from two in the reserve race this season, teammate Connor Coles getting third after Sam Hagon came off while chasing.
This was nullified in the very next heat as the impressive middle order of Tom Brennan and Zach Cook took a maximum advantage.
The home men would extend their lead to four after a tremendous Hagon ride in heat seven before the drama started in heat eight.
Hagon coming down in the first bend with James needing to take avoiding action, confusion then reigned as no red lights came on despite the flag marshalls waving the red flag.
As it transpired the red light had malfunctioned meaning a delay to try and sort this, the referee eventually making the incredible decision to disqualify both Hagon and James, Tobias Thomsen pipping Lasse Fredriksen on the line in the re-run.
Brennan and Cook repeating their heat three trick taking a maximum in heat nine also and the home lead was now nine.
There is a different spirit in this years Monarchs camp though and any thoughts anyone had of a Monarchs capitulation were quickly dispelled as Josh Pickering would take victories in heats 11 and 13 and Paco Castagna in the penultimate heat to keep the Armadale men right in the fight.
By this point starts were under green light conditions due to the malfunctioning start gate this leading to some untidy openings to races as the riders tried to adjust.
The final heat would see one final advantage for the Pirates to mean a final deficit of nine but having watched the hosts score 61 two weeks ago this is a score most of a Blue and Gold persuasion would have taken prior to the first heat in Dorset.
Poole Pirates 49 : Lawson 14, Thomsen 4, Brennan 11+1, Z Cook 8+2, B Cook 8+1, Hagon 2+1, Perry 2
Stellar Monarchs 40 : Pickering 13, Fredriksen 4+1, Thomson 5, Castagna 6+1, Sedgmen 6, James 4+1, Coles 2
Stellar Monarchs start their KO Cup campaign on Wednesday night with the long trip down to Dorset to take on Poole in the first leg of what is sure to be a tough tie.
Such are the standards set by our opponents that many classed 2023 as a disappointing year that despite winning the BSN Shield and being beaten finalists in both this competition and the Championship playoffs also.
As with any successful team changes were needed but their is a familiarity at the top end with Richard Lawson and the Cook brothers Ben and Zach all having returned.
Big acquisition of the winter was 2023 league winner Tom Brennan and early signs are the young Englishman is ready for the next step.
Tobias Thomsen was not a name that was on many people's radar as slotting into a second string position after a nondescript spell at Birmingham a few years back, now more experienced and better prepared Thomsen is another who has started well.
The reserve slots are filled by two young Brits both looking to make their mark. Sam Hagon is one to watch for many while Monarchs Academy man Max Perry is tasked with beating his opposite number.
The Pirates have had a stop start beginning to their season and similar to the Monarchs this is only their second fixture of the season (if we don't count the Monarchs rained off meeting at Glasgow) but that one match was an impressive 61-29 rout of Oxford.
All this means the Monarchs will need to be at their best to come away with a decent result in this one but the early signs are promising.
A four point defeat at Berwick brings no shame despite a slight nagging feeling after getting to the last all square and while the team was led tremendously by Josh Pickering the fact that each of the seven all had at least one win or paid win to their name shows there is points scoring potential throughout.
Wimborne Road is also a venue that holds no secrets for the Monarchs with multiple visits each of the last couple of seasons.
While these have more often than not ended up with the Monarchs coming home empty handed positives can be taken with each of the Monarchs top four all having made it to paid double figures at least once last season.
That is the level of performance that will be needed from all the boys in Blue and Gold if progression is to be made to the semi finals come the end of the second leg next week.
The action starts in this one at 7.30pm with live stream available at https://livestream.poole-speedway.com live updates will also be available on the Monarchs official website.
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Bathgate Road
Armadale
EH48 2PD
