Fine Win Over Glasgow

REPORT Saturday 7th May 2016, 1:28am

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

The Border Roofing Monarchs showed a good deal of tenacity to win tonight’s Scottish Derby 46-43, having led all the way from heat one.

We had to work very, very hard against a powerful, well-organised and determined Glasgow team. They’re good and they know it, but on the night they weren’t quite good enough.

It was the kind of derby you want to see, nip and tuck all the way, all the riders committed to the contest and all making contributions.

We opened with a 4-2 from Sam Masters and Erik Riss, and took a 5-0 in heat 2 which was clearly an important race. Max Clegg had cut up the inside to lead, Danny Ayres packed up and later in the race Fernando Garcia fell, which allowed Ryan Blacklock into second. So it was 9-2 after two heats!

That was as far ahead as we got. The next three heats were all 4-2 advantages to Glasgow, With Richie Worrall, Aaron Summers and Richard Lawson winning the heats. Blacklock should have had another point in heat 4 but fell with third place in his grasp.

We also lost a point in heat 5 when Nike Lunna passed Jye Etheridge in a good scrap for third.

However when the scores get tight, we wheel out the Masters-Riss pairing, and in heat 6 they headed Aaron Summers. Erik pulled off a really powerful wide run on the opening lap to go ahead and Sam covered his back.

Right away we conceded a 5-1 to the top Tigers’ pair even though Ryan Fisher had held second at one stage. He lifted and brushed the fence, allowing Barker past.

Erik had to ride a strong first lap again in heat 8 to go round Lunna, but Max Clegg was a fair way behind Garcia. We were just one ahead, and held that when Kevin Wolbert took an important win over Summers.

Heat 10 was a big one as the two top pairs came out, and what a first turn it was by Sam to take Richie Worrall wide, with Erik storming up the middle to restore that 5-point gap. Ben Barker flopped off against the fence at the end of lap two, possibly trying to get a rerun for his partner, but thankfully the ref gave him no joy there.

A side issue was that Richie Worrall was being pulled back for jumped starts, but not being warned, which isn’t the usual practise. However if we weren’t completely happy about that, we were probably fortunate in heat 11. Max Clegg did make a good start from the outside but Ryan Fisher got a shocker, and then fell when he reached the first corner. It was declared an unsatisfactory start though it hadn’t looked like one, and Ryan got a second shot at it.

He picked up a second place after passing Lunna, which left us 34-31 ahead.

Wolbert did a great job again to head Worrall in heat 12 but Max Clegg lost the point when Garcia went round him, a disappointment indeed.

Heat 13 was a cracking race. This time Fisher flew round the field at the first corner, a brilliant move, and we watched enthralled as Sam tried to find a line to take Lawson while fending off the attention of Summers. There was no further passing but it was the race of the night.

Etheridge and Garcia came down in heat 14, but it was Max Clegg who was excluded for not being under power (though he clearly was!) In the rerun Jye dusted himself off and rode a very good race to finish second, while Barker tried to slow him down. That left us with a 3-point cushion going in to the last heat.

Sam and Erik took on the responsibility, and it was the captain who made a great start and led all the way. A well-presented meeting, hotly contested, and a deserved home win against excellent opposition – just what we wanted.

Full Result Details