Monarchs fought hard but Pirates win the day

The Stellar Monarchs did not land the victory that they need to take them off the foot of the Championship table, but they put up a decent showing against the team now confirmed to be the table-toppers prior to the Playoffs (for which there surely should be an award).

Team manager Alex Harkess said "We were completely out of it after the first third of the match but we did well to get back to just two down at heat 13. With the top riders in that race I felt anything could happen. But the Pirates' pair came out on top, we ran them close but not close enough."

Poole had taken the lead in heat 2 with the seemingly inevitable 1-5 result there, guest Paul Starke passing both the Monarchs. Another couple of 4-2s and later a 5-1 gave Pirates a 26-16 advantage at heat 7. That seemed to be the result all but decided, but Monarchs edged back and took a 5-1 in heat 12 to make it 35-37.

Ben Cook missed the two minutes in this race and with Josh Pickering leading the way, Lasse Fredriksen's chase bore fruit as he rounded Tobias Thomsen on the last bend.

This seemed to be a wake-up call for Poole. Richard Lawson gated in heat 13 and with a fantastic burst off the second bend, Tom Brennan rocketed past both Troy Batchelor and Josh Pickering to restore a 6-point lead for his team. Zach Cook then won heat 14 to clinch the win.

Monarchs only had four races wins for the stalwart Pickering, who stopped on the first bend in heat 1 having been distracted by the two minute light. Guests Drew Kemp and Batchelor (who both put in plenty of effort) managed one win each, but it wasn't enough.

As well as that heat 13 burst, Brennan and Pickering featured in the two best races of the night if not the season. Heats 6 and 15 both saw Brennan produce a great move to pass the Monarchs' no. 1, only for Josh each time to burst back to the front. Two top-line riders going hard at it, and Brennan certainly is one of the most exciting visitors we have seen for a long time.

Monarchs Look To Stop Pirates Plunder

The Stellar Monarchs race their penultimate Championship match of the year on Friday night looking to remove themselves from the foot of the table a task that won't be easy with tabletop chasing Poole Pirates the opposition.

The Pirates as so often is the case just seem to get it right and this year is no different as they look for glory on all three fronts at this level, resounding home victories in the first leg of the KO Cup and BSN Series semi-finals against Scunthorpe and Workington respectively has put the Dorset outfit in a strong position in those competitions and a win in this one would heap the pressure back onto Oxford in the hunt for top spot prior to the playoffs.

Poole's success this year has been built on a rock-solid top four that has seen big leaps forward for winter singing Tom Brennan and returning Ben Cook in particular, the immaculate Richard Lawson rides at number one and that leaves Cook brother number two Zach to take up his role as one of the most free scoring second strings in the division.

Sam Hagon was one that many expected big things and he has delivered while Tobias Thomsen was perhaps a surprise signing in the winter, the Pirates management again though getting it right as despite dropping to reserve Thomsen has increased his average from season's start and was in fine form in the Pirates KO Cup visit to Armadale earlier in the year with a paid eight score.

There is one guest in the Pirates septet for the evening, but Paul Starke needs little introduction as he steps in for collarbone injury victim Vinnie Foord.

As mentioned, this is the second visit to Armadale of the Pirates this year the Monarchs holding off the Pirates 47-43 back at the start of May, that victory coming about due to a heat 15 5-1 from Josh and Justin albeit the Pirates would probably point out that aggregate victory and progression had already been secured by this point.

For the Monarchs it has been a bit of a week from hell with injury being added to insult in the BSN Series semi-final against Scunthorpe last week as Justin Sedgmen saw his season end with a horrific looking crash as he was making his return from a month out prior.

A broken scaphoid and hand among Sedgy's ailments, further bad news would come on Monday as Kye Thomson suffered the same injuries in a crash in Sweden ending his season also, so it is a 1-7 with two stand ins that takes to the shale in this one.

Stepping in for Sedgmen is fellow Aussie Troy Batchelor, 'Batch' enjoying a fine season for Workington in the Championship and top scoring for Ipswich in the Premiership on Thursday evening, so he is in fine form,

Another who is finishing his season like a train is Drew Kemp who stands in for Kye, Kemp a former Monarch and match winner for his side Berwick when the Monarchs faced them last.

Elsewhere it is as usual for the home side as they look to get back to winning ways. Tapes-up is at 7.30pm with those unable to attend having the option of watching the live stream available at https://www.edinburghmonarchs.co.uk/emtv/live/PEfq3Wvtm