MEMORABLE WIN AT FOXHALL

NEWS Friday 4th October 2013, 0:22am

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

Inspired by the incredible Craig Cook and the entirely unpredictable Derek Sneddon, the Scotwaste Monarchs put recent patchy form behind them to score a brilliant 49-41 victory at Ipswich tonight.

That means we now have 8 match points in our Playoff group, level with Workington, and our race points are +18 compared to the Comets +4.

So we need to avoid a heavy home defeat against the Witches tomorrow and we will be working hard from the off to ensure that there isn't the remotest possibility of that happening.

It was some night in Suffolk. There was no doubt we were fiercely determined and we had the first three race winners, Craig Cook, then two by Derek Sneddon after Jozsef Tabaka had touched the tapes in heat 3. Sneddon's determination was clear as he went between Klindt and Risager leaving the second bend.

Liam Carr was unlucky in heat 2 as he held a sizeable lead on the second lap but Hawkins had fallen after losing his steel shoe, and the race was stopped.

We continued to keep it close although Witches drew level after heat 6.

We took a 4-2 in heat 7 with Tabaka scoring an excellent win, then lost heat 8 by the same score after both Derek Sneddon and Max Fricke lost position late in the race.

Over the next two races we dropped six behind, not helped by a Tabaka stoppage after Bach had touched the tapes and gone off 15 metres. At that stage we probably felt we were going to get a point at best. But Messers Cook and Sneddon were thinking otherwise.

In a repeat of their remarkable ride at Newcastle recently, Derek held on out in front, while Craig went in wide and cut back to allow Risager no chance, a brilliant improvised team ride.

Claus Vissing was improving with every ride and won heat 12 easily, with Derek this time just holding on to the point ahead of Schramm.

The rain was falling now and Cook won heat 13 in the slowest time of the night. Theo, not having a good night, bravely tried a last bend outside pass on Bach but came down heavily against the fence.

39-39 and two heats left. Tabaka and Sneddon were so determined, they dominated the first corner of heat 14, and took the 5-1 with Jozsef a mile clear.

So now if Craig completed his max we would win. Not only did he do that, but Jozsef roared home second well ahead of the excellent Heeps plus Risager, to ensure all four poins.

A fantastic result, and well done to referee Chris Gay for clamping down on early fliers by Bach and Klindt to set the pattern for fair starts.

A great night, let's cheer the team home at Armadale tomorrow night.