Monarchs miss chances to beat the champs

The Stellar Monarchs finally lost their first home Championship match to the Champions Poole, after a match in which the Armadale side suffered some misfortune and threw some points away. It was a match in which they looked potential winners for much of the night, once again largely due to Victor Palovaara, though when they arrived at heat 15 two points behind with the Swede's rides all used up the writing was definitely on the wall.

The Pirates' duo of Richard Lawson and Anders Rowe made no mistake and swept home ahead of Justin Sedgmen and Kye Thomson.

Monarchs' boss Alex Harkess said "The way things have gone tonight sums up our season really. I think we threw away at least 8 points. I think there were four races in which we were on a 5-1 and blew it ourselves.

"We gated better than we have, we fought hard but either through some bad luck or mistakes we could not finish the job. Ultimately it was disappointing."

The misfortune in the home camp started in heat 1. With Justin Sedgmen in front backed up by Kye Thomson and a 5-1 seemingly certain, Thomson pulled up with a mechanical problem.

In spite of that Monarchs led by two points after heat 4 having provided all the race winner at that stage. Not for the last time though, the pairing of Lawson and Thomsen turned things round and put Poole 2 points up.

Scores were levelled by a home 4-2 in heat 6 but misfortune struck in heat 7. Oskar Polis had won heat 4 with a real 'bucking bronco' ride and was on a paid win behind the amazing Palovaara in heat 7 when he pulled out with what seemed at the time a mechanical gremlin. However shortly afterwards it was announced that Oskar was pulling out of the meeting with a wrist injury,

Nevertheless Monarchs took a 4-2 in heat 8 (another Victor victory) and then saw a tremendous ride by captain Castagna in heat 9, coming from well back to catch Lewis Kerr on the line. A margin of 0.01 secs according to the transponders!

At that point Monarchs had taken no less than 8 of the 9 heat winners. However once again that Lawson-Thomsen pairing took a 5-1 in heat 11, the only defeat of the night for Palovaara. This time it was a 2-point deficit which could not be overturned.

Dayle Wood fell in heat 12 while battling for position, and although Palovaara won both heats 13 and 14 his partners didn't score. Heat 14 was vital; needing an advantage and preferably a 5-1, Paco Castagna lost control which challenging Zach Cook for second and piled into the fence.

The final race with no more rides for Palovaara meant the game was up, and obviously Monarchs should not be so reliant on the Swede. Justin Sedgmen started with two wins but faded, Castagna won two heats, and the unlucky Thomson was showing improved form.

The loss of Polis and the lost form of Jonatan Grahn proved too much in the end. For the Pirates Lawson as ever was the complete pro and Anders Rowe backed up well, but the real backbone of the team on this occasion was Tobias Thomsen with 7 paid 10. Every team should have a Tobias Thomsen.