OUTSTANDING HOME WIN

NEWS Friday 11th April 2014, 11:17pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

The Scotwaste Monarchs faced the highly rated Comets at Armadale tonight and after a really tough contest over the first half of the meeting, they turned on a super show over the closing heats to take a resounding 55-38 victory.

Unfortunately Derek Sneddon crashed out of the meeting, taking a purler in his first heat, then coming off again in his second before accepting that a back injury was too much for him to continue.

However the others covered without any problem, largely thanks to the fact that we had supersonic reserves tonight. They eventually outscored the Comets’ pair 22-4, the foundation of our victory.

Of course it also helped that Craig Cook scored a paid maximum, something we tend to take for granted but shouldn’t, especially when man and machine have been battered in a midweek fall..

And Max Fricke, Monarch of the Match last week, rapped in an excellent 13 points tonight, beating the formidable Ricky Wells three times plus Josh Grajczonek in the last race – in which Craig and Max rode side by side for a highly impressive 5-1. The match was already over and the lights had gone out, but when they went back on it was our pair who shone.

What a pair of reserves Justin Sedgmen and Steve Worrall are turning out to be! We can stick them in any race, and they are likely to pop out of the gate no matter who the opposition are. Paid for 28, that tells its own story.

Sam Masters will probably not be all that happy with six points, because he is a class rider. He isn’t gating consistently but he is riding the track hard, and his persistency in heat 7 was actually the turning point of the match. With Comets on a 5-1 and Kyle Howarth riding a kamikaze line, Sam got inside him on the last corner, which prompted Kyle to try a cutback and fall heavily.

Had they got the 5-1 Comets would have taken the lead there, but there was only one team in it after that.

Aaron Fox may well be feeling bad after failing to score. He gated in heat 1 and rode with Craig for a couple of laps, but he wasn’t going quickly enough and eventually lost position. In his second ride he dropped to the back early, but in heat 8 he showed a lot of spirit, easily heading Morris and working hard to put pressure on Campton. Unfortunately he got too close and hit Campton’s back wheel as the Comet locked up.

With the match tight and the reserves flying, it was inevitable that Aaron would be replaced in his fourth heat, but everyone can see there is something there.

The Comets will be a little disappointed to lose so heavily after being just two down at heat 8. Josh Grajczonek was impressive, Ricky Wells pretty smooth but the only other visiting rider to earn pass marks was Mason Campton.

Workington will be a different proposition tomorrow but we have done the business at home, the pressure is now on them at Derwent Park.