Bonus Secured At Oxford

Edinburgh Monarchs were in it late before running out of steam on a long warm night at Oxford going down 50-40 but coming home with the aggregate bonus point.

In blistering and difficult conditions it was a case of gate and avoid mistakes particularly in the early stages with both sides losing points from good position.

As the night progressed the track would settle though and in the latter heats it was the home men who adapted better leaving team boss John Campbell to say, 'I think we did really well, we had a chance up to the end but heat 14 was the killer.

'At least we got the bonus point so I am very happy with that.'

It was a tight affair throughout with no one able to really stamp their authority on proceedings in the early stages.

The Monarchs started well with heat wins for Mitch Cluff, Justin Sedgmen and Kye Thomson in the first four races.

This meant a two point away lead but the hosts would fire back immediately with heat advantages in each of the next two races to put themselves into the lead.

Extensive watering would then take place with temperatures having exceeded 30 Celsius during the day and the action would liven up from there.

Heat seven would see a ding dong battle for third between Paco Castagna and Darryl Ritchings, the Monarch taking the point.

Jonatan Grahn would then round the field to take heat eight and at this point there was only two in it.

At this stage thoughts were on going for the win not just the bonus point for the Monarchs as the teams shared heat maximums to keep it tight at 37-35 to the Cheetahs as they entered heat 13.

From then on in the hosts would put the hammer down with Sam Masters shutting the door on Kye Thomson to secure a win in heat 13 with partner Anders Rowe in third the gap was extended.

Heat 14 would see the match over as a contest as the home pair of guest Nick Morris who was excellent throughout and former Monarch Dayle Wood roared from the tapes to take a match clinching maximum.

There was still time for probably the race of the night as Masters and Thomson did battle once again in the last this time it would be Thomson who would clinch second on the line.

So, a tough night for all involved with both camps reasonably happy with the win going to the hosts and bonus point heading back north.

Oxford Cheetahs 50: Masters 10, Scott 6, McDiarmid 11+2, Morris 10+1, Rowe 4, Ritchings 2, Wood 7+4

Edinburgh Monarchs 40: Kemp 4+1, Grahn 8+1, Sedgmen 10+1, Castagna 4, Thomson 10, Cluff 3, Loftus 1

Away League Campaign Starts At Cowley

It is back to Championship action for Edinburgh Monarchs on Wednesday night as they make the trip to Cowley to take on the Oxford Cheetahs in their opening away league fixture of the season.

It has been so far, so good for the Monarchs who have kept an unblemished with victories over Workington and their hosts in this one already recorded at Armadale.

So, it is a case of keeping that momentum going albeit against an Oxford team that will be looking for revenge after an undermanned Cheetahs side went down 54-36 at Armadale a couple of Fridays ago.

That night Peter Schroeck's side arrived at Armadale minus four of their regulars with their replacements failing to impress and with all bar Erik Riss back for this one the Cheetahs will be looking to rectify that defeat.

Riss's place taken by Berwick's Nick Morris who has been a popular guest choice so far this year given his low average after returning to the sport late last year from a two year ban.

Elsewhere Luke Killeen's return to action ended prematurely after another off at Belle Vue on Monday but the Team GB U21 star has been named to return to a line-up that is spearheaded by former Monarchs captain Sam Masters.

For the Monarchs there is one change to their normal line-up also with number one Dan Thompson still on the sidelines with a broken collarbone Drew Kemp steps in to deputise, Kemp having recorded a paid 9 score while doing the same in the Armadale encounter.

Monarchs trips to Cowley have seen a mixed bag of results since the Cheetahs returned to the second tier but confidence can be taken from their last visit in June last year where a one point victory was secured with current team members Kye Thomson, Justin Sedgmen, Paco Castagna and Jonatan Grahn scoring paid 36 between them.

There has also been track experience for Jordy Loftus and Mitch Cluff so it is a trip into the expected for all of the Monarchs.

They will come up against a Cheetahs side desperate for victory to get their season on track though with elimination from both cup competitions and that heavy defeat at Armadale already in the books the home men know they can't afford any slip ups on their own shale should a playoff place be achieved, this the minimum expectation of a team many tipped to be among the divisions best prior to seasons start.

All in all, an intriguing looking encounter looks to be on the cards with those that can't make it along able to watch on BSN, tapes-up 19:30.