DEREK RETURNS

NEWS Saturday 20th September 2014, 1:52pm

by Toby Lerone

  Edinburgh Monarchs

Derek Sneddon will make a dramatic return to action at Berwick tonight as the Scotwaste Monarchs begin the away matches of their Play Off campaign.

After being decidedly unwell on Friday, Derek Sneddon has agreed to rise from his sick bed to help his teammates at Shielfield Park this evening. Derek had not been certain if he would ride or not but when he heard on Saturday morning that, just as Friday, there was not a single Premier League rider available to stand in for him, he decided that he would give it a go.

Said Derek, "I was feeling a lot better when I woke up on Saturday morning and had a much more settled night. When John told me that the last rider he could possibly try in the Premier League had declined the chance to ride I immediately thought that I would give it a try. I'm not 100% but I'll give it my best shot."

The Bandits have their own troubles on Saturday. Matthew Wethers was unwell on Friday and after being sick in the pits after the meeting the paramedic signed him out of tonight's meeting. Taking his place and travelling all the way from Plymouth to ride is Sam Simota. Other than those changes the teams will be the same as Friday night.

The target for the Scotwaste Monarchs tonight is to pick up as many match points as possible. Even a single point gained tonight for losing by six or less is likely to be crucial in deciding the section winner. Defeat for the Bandits would, effectively, end their interest in competition but if they ride with as much determination as they did on Friday night that will not be in their thinking.

The meeting gets underway at 7.00pm.