Monarchs Win At Ashfield

The Stellar Monarchs put in a dogged display to take victory 46-44 at Ashfield on Friday night albeit falling just short of securing the Scottish Cup on aggregate in a display that gives hope for the season ahead.

Despite the win on the night there was a sense of frustration in the camp after, with a couple of points dropped here and there and some tapes drama in the final heat.

Led from the front by Justin Sedgmen who amassed paid 13 points the Monarchs were never behind and it was the Aussie who sealed the victory with a heat 15 win.

The Mildura man saying after, 'Everyone thought we were going to get a bit of a battering tonight and the boys did good.

'Oskar (Polis) came and rode the track really well, Victor (Palovaara) was dialed in from the start and Jonatan (Grahn) won his last race so small improvements every race.

'For me as well it hasn't been going great and that was a good meeting and I felt like it was a real good step in the right direction.'

Sedgmen was at his brilliant best electric from the start and riding cleverly and it was he and Grahn that gave the Monarchs the lead with an opening heat four two.

This result was repeated in the next albeit with a slice of fortune for the Monarchs as home man Max Perry came off while in a comfortable second.

Polis was a comfortable second in his debut ride in heat three and when guest Drew Kemp was unfortunate not to round Kyle Howarth to take heat four, the Tiger getting unwanted grip shooting across the track almost taking Kemp out, the signs were promising.

The Monarchs were gating well and riding smart and but for some brilliance from home number one Chris Harris passing Kemp on the line in heat six and both Polis and Kye Thomson in heat ten the Monarchs could have stretched their advantage.

As it was it would be heat 11 before the first maximum of the night propelled the Blue and Gold into a six point lead.

Sedgmen gated with Howarth looking set in second. Grahn would have other ideas though blasting through both to hit the lead off the second bend.

A blanket could be thrown over all three for the next couple of laps before the Monarchs settled in for the five one.

Glasgow would not lie down though and took heat advantages in the next two races first up with a slice of fortune of their own as Kye Thomson ground to a halt while in a points scoring position in heat 12 before another classic in heat 13 where Sedgmen tried everything to hold off the Tigers before being swallowed up by both Howarth and Harris.

With Polis taking his first Heat win for the Monarchs in the penultimate race backed up by Palovaara in third the Monarchs had an advantage going into the last.

The drama was not done yet as Harris would go through the tapes at the start of heat 15, an apparent malfunction of the starting equipment sparing the Englishman.

In the re-run Sedgmen was again quickest away, passing and re-passing with Harris but with Polis unable to make inroads into Howarth at the back it was a case of winning the battle but not the war for the Monarchs.

Still, a night that a lot can be taken from for the Monarchs against fancied opposition as attention now turns to the KO Cup clash against Workington next weekend.

Glasgow Tigers 44 : Harris 13, Boughen 3, Thompson 10, Flint 4+2, Howarth 10+2, Hodder 2, Perry 2

Stellar Monarchs 46 : Sedgmen 12+1, Grahn 5+1, Thomson 3+3, Polis 9, Kemp 7, Palovaara 9+1, James 1