Glasgow Tigers v Edinburgh Monarchs

Ryan Fisher with a paid maximum was the inspiration behind our victory at Glasgow which brought us the Spring Trophy for the first time since 2005.

However everyone contributed to our fourth win in four matches, but it was the American who took the match by the scruff of the neck and dominated proceedings, right from the point of our 5-1 opening race win.

This was quite a surprising heat because it was Mitchell Davey who took the lead with an outside run out of the second bend. Fisher and Sneddon were soon through and there was only a minimal challenge from Shane Parker.

We were probably looking for a result from heat 2 also, but although Summers led, Grakczonek impressively swept round him.

Andrew Tully had made one of his worst ever starts but was soon under the toiling Dicken to help Aaron share the heat.

We were happy to see Thomas Jonasson out in front for his first win in heat 3, though William Lawson had a poor ride and couldn?t pass Leverington or Davey.

Matthew went past Robert Ksiezak down the back straight of heat 4, and later in the heat Andrew Tully pulled off an excellent pass to give us our second 5-1. At this point it looked as though we could really pile up a big score.

Derek Sneddon tumbled awkwardly on the first bend of heat 5, and while he took a bit of time to get off the track, he was clear before the other riders had exited the fourth corner. But the race was stopped and the ref issued a ridiculous public warning to Derek.

Trent Leverington had gated initially but in the rerun it was Ryan, away for an easy win.

Ksiezak took the rider replacement ride in heat 6 and made the start from Wethers, with Parker third, Parker pulled alongside Matthew and it looked like a familiar overtake ? but Matthew boldly fought him off and took the second.

The next two heats were very poor for us, both 5-1 reverses and both featuring Grajczonek, who rightly earned praise for his excellent efforts in backing Ksiezak and Leverington.

So much for piling up a big score, we had gone from 8 up to 2 down in three heats!

Matthew chased Trent Leverington hard in heat 9, and Aaron headed Davey so we lost no more ground.

Happily William Lawson put his troubles behind him to race away in heat 9, beating off a strong early charge from Parker, but Thomas lost third spot to Grajczonek.

Derek had had a strange day so far but he went ahead in heat 11, and with Ryan sitting comfortably inside him they easily held off Ksiezak for a 5-1 to put us 2 points up again.

Leverington won heat 12 but Jonasson chased him hard, and Andrew Tully passed Grajczonek to share the heat.

Heat 13 was important and it was Parker off gate 1 who made the quickest start, but once again the brilliant Fisher wouldn?t be denied. He swerved inside Parker and went ahead up the back straight, and indeed both Ksiezak and Wethers came through also.

Matthew rode a tough heat between the two Tigers and hung on to the point, so we were now 4 up.

When we saw William and Andrew go ahead in heat 14, it looked like game over, and it should have been. Sadly though Andrew lost a chain and took a whack in the leg as William completed his second win.

The silly contorted rule for eligibility to heat 15 was obviously too much for the ref who ruled William out of the heat (he should have been allowed in).

Instead Matthew came out alongside Ryan, looking for his maximum, against Trent Leverington and Shane Parker.

Ryan from gate 3 swept ahead round the first turn, and Matthew battled in to second. With Fisher away, Wethers battled against the Tigers on his tail and secured the second to ensure a fine win.

The team got a great roar from the ?shed? on the victory parade, and were given a sporting reception at the presentation. We may not be firing on all cylinders yet but we have won four out of four!