Resilient Monarchs Secure Bonus

REPORT Saturday 29th June 2024, 1:57am

by Graham Muncie

  Edinburgh Monarchs

With the Euros still ongoing albeit minus a Scottish interest it feels apt to use a football analogy and tonight's match at Scunthorpe was certainly a match of two halves for the Stellar Monarchs as they went down 50-39, a result which secured the aggregate bonus point.

An eleven point defeat on the night a respectable outcome seeing as the Monarchs were 18 down after eight heats and fearing the worst.

At this half way stage any hope of a Monarchs resurgence looked long gone as the hosts took control but led once again by the brilliant Josh Pickering who was unbeaten after his first ride the Armadale men stuck to their guns and while victory on the night was out of their grasp Pickering and fellow heat-leader Justin Sedgmen's heat 13 maximum secured the overall bonus.

Pickering saying after "It was always going to be tough Scunthorpe are dialled in around their home track.

"The start of the meeting we did not start well and you were getting covered in shale if you didn't make the gate but the result was there in the end I guess when it comes to the bonus point and that was the main thing.

"We have all jumped in and done our part, it is a collective 1-7 and we have all chipped away and everyone contributed so it is credit to the boys that we all stuck in and as I said in regards the bonus point we got the job done."

As mentioned it was a tough start for the Monarchs and while it is easy to look for excuses with the combination of a track that had obviously been prepared with 30 heats in mind that caused concern for both camps, a malfunctioning starting mechanism and a ridiculous advantage for gate four that saw riders from the outside score 17 out of a possible 18 over the first six heats it was a night that could have gotten away from the Monarchs as the home men smelt blood.

That this did not unfold is once again credit to the spirit in the Monarchs camp and as the page turned on the match programme to the latter heats it was the Armadale men who finished stronger.

Heat nine saw the introduction of Pickering as a tactical substitute alongside Sedgemen and the resulting maximum heat advantage gave hope.

This looked to be extinguished as in the next race, first up Lasse Fredriksen came down on the first bend then in the re-run Paco Castagna caught some unwanted grip and hit the dirt also, the resulting home five nil nullifying the excitement of the previous race Monarchs maximum.

The Monarchs were not done though and a clever first lap by Kye Thomson in heat eleven saw him join Pickering at the front for another 5-1 that put the Monarchs back on track.

Heat 12 saw controversy as Fredriksen took umbrage to some over zealous defensive riding by home reserve Luke Harrison that could have ended in tears, the post match exchange between the two getting physical, this resulting in fines for both the Monarch and a member of the Scunthorpe pit crew.

The next race saw the strong Monarchs pairing of Pickering and Sedgmen of the golden gates two and four and they promptly delivered the bonus point clinching maximum.

Further heat wins would follow for Castagna and Pickering to close the match, the former of these probably the heat of the night as the Monarch and home pair Connor Mountain and Nathan Ablitt rode side by side for the first two laps before the Italian put his mark on proceedings.

So, an aggregate bonus point victory for the Stellar Monarchs with rivalries set to be renewed in the not to distant future as the sides do battle once again in the BSN Series semi-finals.

Scunthorpe Scorpions 50 : Howarth 11+3, Palm Toft R/R, Lambert 14, Mountain 6+2, Allen 9, Ablitt 5+1, Harrison 5

Stellar Monarchs 39 : Pickering 15+1, Thomson 4+1, Fredriksen 2, Castagna 7, Sedgmen 8+1, James 1+1, Coles 2

Full Result Details