Edinburgh Monarchs v Mildenhall Fen Tigers

REPORT Friday 8th August 2008, 10:00pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

Could Monarchs hit 70, and would we see the old Theo Pijper - these were the main questions to be answered when the Fen Tigers came to Armadale.

For once the Armadale weather was better on Friday than on the days before and after, and the result was very good track conditions with the riders able to ride freely.

The home side opened with three 5-1's which included a tentative ride from Theo Pijper as he was swallowed up by Sneddon and Wethers in heat 3.

Jan Graversen had a look at the track in heat 3 and then gated in heat 4. Matthew wethers passed easily enough but Aaron Summers was stuck in third, and the whitewash was avoided.

Heat 5 was the best of the night. Lee Smart and Seb Truminski gated, with Wethers soon past the Pole. It took him a could more laps to find a way through to the front, as Andrew Tully slipped past Truminski but had to settle for third.

After that it was back to the 5-1's with heats generally decided at the first bend.

Marek Mroz had a nasty tumble leaving the second bend in heat 8 when he lifted off the back of his machine, and thankfully the following riders avoided any collisions.

Heat 10 was the next point gained by the Fen Tigers. Derek Sneddon had been looking quick, but he was riding wide and Pijper caught him by using the inside line. He remembered it well enough to make sure of second behind Mark Lemon.

After a further 5-1 from the powerful Fisher-Tully pair, Theo Pijper jumped out of the gate to lead Wethers and Summers home. It should be a step along the way for Theo regaining confidence.

Mark Lemon had a machine misfire during heat 13 and dropped a point to Truminski, and then Fen Tigers tried Pijper as a TS in heat 14. Wethers and Tully were too quick for that to have a chance of success.

Finally Ryan Fisher completed his first league paid maximum and Monarchs finished with a 5-1 to top the 68 they scored against Scunthorpe.

HERMISTON MONARCH OF THE MATCH: Ryan Fisher

Full Result Details