Monarchs Rampant At Redcar

REPORT Sunday 3rd October 2021, 9:25pm

by Graham Muncie

  Edinburgh Monarchs

The What the Fork Monarchs put in a powerhouse display at Redcar on Sunday evening never being headed and pulling away in the latter stages to win 51-39 in the first leg of their playoff quarter finaL.

There were fantastic performances throughout with Drew Kemp and Josh Pickering both hauling in 13 and even though the scorecard looks barren for Jason Edwards at reserve this was completely due to misfortune as he ground to a halt while leading heat 8.

The racing was frantic and exciting throughout with heat 15 perhaps the pick of the bunch Pickering taking the checkered flag in that one delighted with his and the teams nights work saying after 'We came here with every intention to win. We got the draw early in the season but that was our first away match and we hadn't had any practice so tonight we knew we would go better. We are here to win, home and away we are going to be be very strong.

'For me I was just focused on winning races that's my job now for this team and I need to score as many as possible. Heat 15 showed that, it was pretty cool I only had the option to ride the boards but touch wood I made it work and it was great to win it.'

The Monarchs got off to a strong start with a brace of 4-2 advantages after a shared heat 1 and with a Monarch taking the checkered flag in all 3 races the basis was there for a good night ahead.

A string of shared races would follow before the home men cut the deficit with a heat 8 4-2 of their own. There being a large slice of fortune in this though as Monarchs guest reserve Jason Edwards suffered an engine malfunction while leading. Edwards being worth way more than the 1 point he finished the evening with.

Any thoughts this would act as a springboard for the Bears to get back into it would be short lived as the Monarchs would rattle off 4 heat advantages in the next 5 races with some fantastic races throughout.

Heat 12 in particular a fantastic tussle between Monarchs Kye Thomson and Bears Jake Allen, Thomson just holding it on the line.

This meant it was a 10 point advantage for the visitors going into heat 15 and what would be perhaps the best race of the night.

Sam Masters and Pickering were away well but Charles Wright produced a fantastic cut back to push to the front. The front 3 went into the 3rd bend abreast with it looking like there was no way for Pickering to stay on on the outside.

The Aussie would not be denied through riding the wall of death to hit the front in a move even his teammates went out to check how wide he had ridden such was it's audacity.

With Masters picking up 3rd it was another Monarchs heat advantage and a 12 point lead on the night which while no chickens will be counted must make the Monarchs favourites to progress

Full Result Details