STEVIE CRASHES OUT BUT THE TEAM WINS WELL

REPORT Friday 5th September 2014, 11:56pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

The Scotwaste Monarchs equalled their highest score of the season when they beat Sheffield 67-27 at Armadale tonight – and they avoided the rain as well.

The downside of another very impressive Armadale performance was the loss of Stevie Worrall after an awkward fall in heat 3, though as far as we know there is no serious injury and our PLRC qualifier will probably ride at Rye House tomorrow.

In his absence, the others did superbly with Derek Sneddon recorded his highest score of the season, Craig Cook and Sam Masters unbeaten and everyone else plundering points.

With some torrential rain to the west of Edinburgh, and heavy dark clouds over the stadium, it felt like a miracle that there was no rain at Armadale, though some people may well have made the decision not to travel.

In all honesty Sheffield provided disappointing opposition. Simon Stead was their only race winner and much of the time they were so badly beaten out of the start that the races were over at the first bend. All of the heats from the sixth race onwards finished either 5-1 or 4-4 (two of the latter).

Heat 8 was a good race with Josh Bates (on a TR) and Taylor Poole making the start. Justin Sedgmen passed Poole and hunted down Bates, while Aaron Fox took advantage of Poole going wide on the last bend to grab the point. While everyone was watching that Sedgmen grabbed the race win from Bates who might have suffered a machine problem approaching the line.

Another good battle was heat 11 as Aaron Fox held off Simon Stead for a couple of laps, and stayed with the GB international right to the finish.

In view of the threatening weather we were keen for the meeting to run smoothly but the first three races were all stopped. Stead and Sedgmen crashed on the first bend of heat 1, and Josh Bates spun into the fence in heat 2. Steve Worrall's injury came in heat 3 after Leigh Lanham had passed him. Steve tried to come back on the outside and came to grief.

Full Result Details