Title Partner
REPORT Saturday 4th September 2010, 10:00pm
Edinburgh Monarchs
No Monarchs fan had ever seen the team pick up the points to clinch a league title on track ? previously results elsewhere had finished the job. A few hundred of us enjoyed the experience on a memorable Stoke Saturday night.
The team have never shown any doubts or lowering of resolve, and they had a firm grip on this match throughout with Ryan Fisher and Kevin Wolbert displaying the broadest of shoulders as they both scored paid maximums ? as well as riding brilliantly in tandem with their team mates.
Matthew kicked off proceedings with a fast gate in heat 1, and Ryan happily slotted in to back him up for the maximum start. They showed there delight after the race and it is important to get off to a good start ? as we so often have this year.
Heat 2 looked ok too as William Lawson came round the field and led down the back straight ? only to fall at the third corner. So that was the scores level.
Heat 3 was a terrific heat (after Katajisto and Wilson had fallen at the first attempt). Kalle swept to the front at the second run, and Kevin edged his way into second, holding off a strong challenge from Lee Smart. Smart did get round Kevin at one point and was challenging Kalle, but Kevin came roaring back on the last turn to complete a brilliant 5-1.
Tomicek took his second win in heat 4 though Lawson challenged hard, with Tully in third and Stoke?s new Swede Jeremiah Thelaus well back.
Now we had the first long, long grading session for the track which didn?t have a lot of shale on to start with.
Ryan Fisher won heat 5 easily though Matthew was surprisingly at the rear in spite of challenging Wilson. Bearing in mind we were only looking for one point for the title, a 17-13 lead was more than satisfactory at this stage.
Taylor Poole took a first bend tumble in heat 6 trying to round Tully, but it was all four back. Facher was a surprise leader in the rerun but Andrew eventually cut under him, while Ashley Morris rode an excellent race to hold off Poole for third.
The Katajisto / Wolbert combo worked to perfection again in heat 7 to take us ten points ahead, and that title was just about there now.
Three heats on from the last grading there was not another, with a huge watering cart joining in, a contraption which looked as though it would be very handy assisting laying Edinburgh?s tram lines.
Tomicek took a TR in heat 8 but we seemed to have that covered as Matthew led the race. Regrettably at the end of lap two he shed a chain and came down heavily. Poole was already out after a first bend fall and the rerun went to Stoke by 6-2.
Tully just failed with an exciting effort to pass Wilson in heat 9, while Smart was held back for much of the race by the impressive Morris. Eventually Stoke got a 4-2 and they had cut our lead to 4.
No problem though to Kevin and Kalle who raced off for their third 5-1, this time with our German heading the heat.
Heat 11 looked profitable too but Matthew had another bike problem. Fisher kept his unbeaten run going so we led 38-30.
Another show of power from Wolbert gave us a shared heat 12, and at this point we actually won the title! Three 5-0s to Stoke would have left us with the point we needed.
We were going to do better than that of course, and we had another amazing Fisher show in heat 13. It might not have been his toughest race but after missing the gate he simply flew round the air fence to pass everyone and win by a mile. Ten up with two to go, the match was in the bag.
Kalle was on a max but he missed the start in heat 15 as we lost a 5-1, and that left us needing an advantage to take all four points ? nothing wrong with being greedy!
And of course, with two guys like Ryan and Kevin on hand, we did it in great style with a closing 5-1.
Celebration time, and the team looked rightly happy and proud as they joined the fans for photos with the famous Dennis Darling Monarchs? flag.
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Bathgate Road
Armadale
EH48 2PD
