Edinburgh Monarchs Academy
Dayle Wood 14 (5)
Middlesbrough Tigers
Tom Spencer 9+1 (5)
National Development League
48
42
Saturday 12th April 2025
Armadale Stadium
Edinburgh Monarchs Academy
Team Manager: Scott Wilson
48
1. Connor Coles 3 3 3 1 1 11 0
2. Kyran Lyden 0 1 0 0 1 0
3. Matt Marson 2 2 1* 3 8 1
4. Sam McGurk 1* 0 2 2 5 1
5. Dayle Wood 3 3 2 3 3 14 0
6. Mark Parker 3 0 1* 0 4 1
7. Lee Harrison 2* 1 1 1 5 1
Middlesbrough Tigers
Team Manager: Brian Turner
42
1. Tom Spencer 1* 1 3 2 2 9 1
2. Jamie Halder 2 3 3 FD FD 8 0
3. Ace Pijper 3 2 1* 2 8 1
4. Stene Pijper 0 1* 2 3 6 1
5. Danny Phillips 2 2 3 0 7 0
6. Laylan Richardson 0 0 0 0 0 0
7. Kai Ward 1 F 2* 1 4 1
Heat 1
Time: 59.80
1. Connor Coles  
3
2. Kyran Lyden  
0
1. Tom Spencer  
1
2. Jamie Halder  
2
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
3
3
Away
3
3
Connor is away from the tapes well and extends his lead by the finish. Poor start by Kyren who nearly gets by Spencer going into the last lap. Good effort.
Heat 2
Time: 61.88
6. Mark Parker  
3
7. Lee Harrison  
2
6. Laylan Richardson  
0
7. Kai Ward  
1
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
5
8
Away
1
4
Monarchs gated well and after they sorted themselves out rode steady for a 5-1.
Heat 3
Time: 58.68
3. Matt Marson  
2
4. Sam McGurk  
1
3. Ace Pijper  
3
4. Stene Pijper  
0
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
3
11
Away
3
7
Convincing win by Ace with Monarchs settling in for the minor scoring places.
Heat 4
Time: 57.23
5. Dayle Wood  
3
7. Lee Harrison  
1
5. Danny Phillips  
2
7. Kai Ward  
F
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
4
15
Away
2
9
Tapes to flag easy win for Dayle. Ward was holding 2nd for 3 laps but going wider and and and losing ground. Fell on last lap with Lee already ready to overtake on the inside.
Heat 5
Time: 61.66
3. Matt Marson  
2
4. Sam McGurk  
0
1. Tom Spencer  
1
2. Jamie Halder  
3
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
2
17
Away
4
13
Halder gates well and is away with his partner Spencer in a battle for 2nd with Matt for 4 laps. Thrilling race with Matt just getting the verdict.
Heat 6
Time: 59.85
1. Connor Coles  
3
2. Kyran Lyden  
1
5. Danny Phillips  
2
6. Laylan Richardson  
0
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
4
21
Away
2
15
Excellent win by Connor with the other riders spread out.
Heat 7
Time: 58.56
5. Dayle Wood  
3
6. Mark Parker  
0
3. Ace Pijper  
2
4. Stene Pijper  
1
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
3
24
Away
3
18
All over after the 2nd bend with Dayle extending his lead by the flag and the two Pijper brothers comfortable in the minor places.
Heat 8
Time: 60.56
2. Kyran Lyden  
0
7. Lee Harrison  
1
2. Jamie Halder  
3
7. Kai Ward  
2
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
1
25
Away
5
23
Tigers from the gate with Lee keeping Ward honest with Ward persisting with an outside line and locking up on most occasions.
Heat 9
Time: 59.41
3. Matt Marson  
1
4. Sam McGurk  
2
5. Danny Phillips  
3
6. Laylan Richardson  
0
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
3
28
Away
3
26
Phillips wins well with Sam keeping him honest after he goes wide at the end of the first lap which nearly lets him in.
Heat 10
Time: 60.18
1. Connor Coles  
3
2. Kyran Lyden  
0
3. Ace Pijper  
1
4. Stene Pijper  
2
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
3
31
Away
3
29
Easy win by Connor with Stene a good 2nd. Ace gets a warning for moving at the start.
Heat 11
Time: 60.72
5. Dayle Wood  15m
2
6. Mark Parker  
1
1. Tom Spencer  
3
2. Jamie Halder  
FD
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
3
34
Away
3
32
Halder went in too hot into the 3rd/4th bend on 1st lap after overtaking Dayle down the back straight and fell on his own going too wide. Disqualified from the rerun. Dayle touches tapes in rerun and goes off 15m. Dayle makes a great effort to make up ground on Spencer and loses by a bike length.
Heat 12
Time: 61.40
3. Matt Marson  
3
7. Lee Harrison  
1
3. Ace Pijper  
2
6. Laylan Richardson  
0
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
4
38
Away
2
34
Good win by Matt after an excellent gate with Ace keeping him honest but never quite in a position to overtake.
Heat 13
Time: 59.23
1. Connor Coles  
1
5. Dayle Wood  
3
1. Tom Spencer  
2
5. Danny Phillips  
0
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
4
42
Away
2
36
Spencer comes down on first bend under pressure from Connor on the inside. Rerun with all 4 riders. Good gate by the Monarchs but Spencer comes under Connor and rides an intelligent race to hold second.
Heat 14
Time: 60.94
4. Sam McGurk  
2
6. Mark Parker  
0
4. Stene Pijper  
3
7. Kai Ward  
1
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
2
44
Away
4
40
Excellent gate by Stene to win easily. Sam does well to overtake Ward at the end of 1st lap after being taken wide.
Heat 15
Time: 59.81
5. Dayle Wood  
3
1. Connor Coles  
1
2. Jamie Halder  
FD
1. Tom Spencer  
2
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
4
48
Away
2
42
Halder fell in front of Connor and with no place to go collided with him. Halder excluded from the rerun and looks to be in some discomfort on the track. Ambulance called on to the track to attend to Halder. Heat 15 about to get underway. Dayle from the gate closely followed by Spencer. Connor tries a persistent outside line to try and overtake Spencer without success.

Stellar Monarchs Academy had to work hard against a solid and determined Middlesbrough team, but led all the way from heat 2 to the end to secure the points with a 48-42 win. They top the table as it is the first match to be run in the National Development League this season!

Team manager Scott Wilson said "It was a bit nip and tuck as I thought it would be. We made a good start and got in front, then Middlesbrough pulled it back and there was a run of 3-3s but I always felt we'd be stronger towards the end.

"It's the first meeting, you just want to get a win and we've given ourselves a wee lead to take down to Middlesbrough later in the season."

There was an unfortunate conclusion in heat 15 to an otherwise enjoyable fixture when Tigers' Jamie Halder, one of the most entertaining riders on the night, suddenly spun off right in the path of Connor Coles who could not avoid him. Jamie suffered a rib injury and headed off in an ambulance to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

Dayle Wood was the dominant man in the meeting, dropping his only point due to a tape touch in heat 11. He seemed to be too close to the tapes and just nicked them. He got up close to Tom Spencer coming off 15 metres but Spencer kept his nerve to win.

Connor Coles won three heats before settling for a couple of thirds behind Spencer in heats 13 and 15. There was a special mention for the efforts of Matt Marson from team manager Wilson as the Aussie was unwell but stuck to his task.

Mark Parker took his first race win for the Academy but perhaps the biggest improver was Lee Harrison, fast and steady and scoring in every ride on his full team debut.

Middlesbrough were very solid with Halder especially impressive. He actually passed Wood in the first running of heat 11, but carried too much speed around the turn, lifted and went into the fence. It was a great shame that his night ended badly.

Ace Pijper looked a world-beater in his first ride but didn't win another heat, while young brother Stene went in the other direction and finished strongly.

The same goes for Spencer, and former Dale Devil Danny Phillips is always in the thick of the action.

A good start for the Academy season, with a get well soon message for Jamie Halder.