STRONG SHOW TO MAKE IT 9 IN A ROW

NEWS Friday 2nd May 2014, 11:59pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

The Scotwaste Monarchs’ run of victories won’t last forever – but it didn’t end tonight as early season League leaders Scunthorpe were sent packing by 59-34 with all of the home riders contributing good scores.

Team boss Alex Harkess said “We were in very good form, and it’s just as well Scunthorpe had a couple of decent guests!”

Theo Pijper and Mason Campton scored 19 of the Scorpions’ 34 points, and also had all of their three race wins.

The scores were level for two heats, and after Monarchs took a couple of 5-1 advantages Scunthorpe hit back with one of their own through Theo Pijper and David Howe. However from that point onwards it was one way traffic as Monarchs took control.

In fact the racing improved from mid-match, starting with a thrilling heat 7 when Sam Masters piled the pressure on early race leader Ashley Birks and eventually came through to win. Sam had his most impressive Armadale meeting tonight.

Craig Cook gave a masterclass, doing everything expected of the league’s top man. He scored a paid maximum, he rode with his partner a couple of times, and he won two heats from the back when called upon to do so.

The first was Ryan Douglas’s TR ride in heat 10. For some reason gate 3 was getting almost all the winners, and the Aussie led Cook for over three laps. However Cook passed him down the back straight on the final lap and the unlucky visitor came off on the last corner.

Cook’s other pass was against guest Theo Pijper in heat 13.

There was another excellent battle between Douglas and his fellow countryman Max Fricke for second spot in heat 12. Max was happily nursing Steve Worrall when Douglas burst past him and in spite of his best efforts, Max couldn’t get back into second.

And then of course – Stevie Worrall. He didn’t win heat 2, oddly enough, but he was thereafter unbeaten. He pushed the visiting pair wide in heat 4 and brought Masters through for the 5-1, and also teamed up with Justin Sedgmen and Craig Cook in later heats.

That emphasised the team effort which we saw once again as all the riders looked for each other. Sedgmen was impressive again after a disappointing heat 1 (with a heat 8 cutback which was a real classic), Derek Sneddon was on-song for paid 9 and had two 5-1’s with Max Fricke, and Aaron Fox after a modest start took points from experienced riders Howe and Birks.

Max had two stylish wins but was slightly caught napping in that heat with Douglas.

With no meeting at home next Friday Monarchs now have three away matches on the trot, but anything is possible with this excellent team.