Edinburgh Monarchs v Sheffield Tigers

REPORT Friday 7th August 2009, 10:00pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

A trio of double figure scorers got us through a tough match against Sheffield in which we eventually took all three points.

Ryan Fisher had his best match for a while and dropped just one point, to the excellent Auty in heat 13, while both Matthew Wethers and Aaron Summers came good in their latter rides to see us over the line.

Max Dilger scored one point in a debut that had some promise. Michal Rajkowski was somewhat off colour and Byron Bekker had to put up with being shunted into tougher heats, but still did his bit with a loan of a machine to Summers for heat 14.

We started off smoothly enough with a routine 4-2 in heat 1, then another in a twice-rerun heat 2 from which Cooper was eventually excluded after another Bekker third-bend dive, and Byron himself fell in the first and third runnings.

So Max Dilger had to wait for all that to conclude before taking his first ride as a Monarch. He made the gate too and led into the back straight, but he was never likely to hold off the hard-charging Parsons. Matthew slotted in beside Max for a while before deciding to move past and set out after Parsons. He had too much to do, and on the final turn Hall nipped up the inside to grab the point away from Dilger.

Not a bad first ride by the German though. Rajkowski then took the first rider replacement ride and led for most of heat 4, but again Auty showed his passing skills, going by Summers and then reeling in Rajkowski to take a great win off the final corner.

We were just two ahead, and that was reversed in heat 5. Dilger missed the start this time, and so did Wethers, and although Matthew tried extremely hard it was an untidy ride by him, twice almost running into Mills. We lost the 5-1 and we were needing Wethers and Summers to step it up a bit.

Fisher again swept from the start to win heat 6 but again Auty was too forceful for Rajkowski to hold off and we had to settle for a 4-2, levelling the scores.

Fisher was straight out as rider replacement and won heat 7, with Bekker getting a dreadful start before making up ground to finish close behind Parsons.

We had shifted Summers into heat 8 alongside Rajkowski and were looking for an advantage, but it didn?t come because Mills gated and held the lead in spite of a strong challenge from Summers.

Wethers won heat 9 with Dilger tailed off, and more disappointingly Rajkowski was at the back as Fisher won heat 10. The scores were still level and we were missing chances.

Heat 11 was pulled back for an unsatisfactory start as Summers led the way, and he did it again with an outside swoop in the rerun, joined by Wethers for a 5-1 at last.

Dilger was allowed a fourth ride in heat 12 with Summers replacing Bekker for the third time, and it paid off. Summers forced his way to the front again and Dilger rode steadily to beat Skidmore, his first point and an important one.

It was still close though and the Tigers? pair made the gate in heat 13. Fisher looked purposeful and swept round Ashworth, then chased Auty hard but unsuccessfully. Bekker took his third ride and fell on the final bend.

Heat 14 was eventful. Hall led for the first two laps but on the pits corner of lap 2, Cooper (surprisingly left in the race) crashed and dislodged the fence. He battled to get off the track but the fence was tilted inwards, and the rules insist that the race had to be rerun.

This time Wethers made the gate, and Hall fell to gift Summers (on Bekker?s bike) a paid win.

We were 8 ahead going in to the last race. Parsons, ever-competitive, forced ahead on the opening lap but again Fisher was not going to be denied. He went round Parsons on the first bend of lap 2.

Now it was over to Wethers, challenging Parsons but with Auty buzzing round his back wheel. If Fisher?s pass had been good, Matthew did even better with a wide move and angled cutback to get inside Parsons.

A fine finish to an enjoyable match, even though we are obviously well short of the strength we have become used to over the past couple of seasons.

HERMISTON MONARCH OF THE MATCH: Ryan Fisher.

Full Result Details