Birmingham Brummies v Edinburgh Monarchs

On a track damaged by pre-meeting rain, Monarchs took control over the closing heats to record an impressive victory.

The whole team did well while the Brummies were pretty reliant on Jasons Lyons, Stojanowski and Birkinshaw.

It did take us a few heats to turn the scoring our way. The opening heat was a bad one because Thomas Jonasson forgot his steel shoe, and impeded William Lawson on the first corner. William recovered and managed to catch Craig Watson leaving the final corner for a second place behind Mills.

We turned that round with a fine 5-1 from the reserves, but then lost a 5-1 in heat 3. Derek Sneddon fell while third, then Matthew Wethers just missed catching Stojanowski at the last gasp.

Ryan Fisher won heat 4 but Aaron Summers slid off while lying third ahead of Watson, who wasn?t looking comfortable.

William?s machine was making horrible noises prior to heat 5, and eventually he ran into the tapes at the start. Andrew Tully took his place. Thomas gave Jason Lyons a tough first lap before the home star pulled away, and Andrew passed Stojanowski for third to keep us just 2 behind.

Lyons came in as r/r in heat 6, probably because he looked like the only home rider who could handle Fisher. Again it was a shared heat.

A good first turn in heat 7 by our pair put them ahead, with Derek and Matthew riding steadily for all four laps. That gave us a 2-point lead and we were starting to look the better side, especially with Lyons now having had 3 of his potential six rides.

James Birkinshaw was adjudged a tape toucher in heat 8 in which all riders looked jumpy at the start. Finally we saw the best of Thomas making light of the conditions to lead all the way.

Aaron held off Birko and we were now 4 up.

However gating was certainly important and when Stojanowski made the start in heat 9 with Lyons backing up, it looked like the scores might be levelled. Andrew Tully night have sorted them out but lost a chain as he seemed to be taking the lead. However Fisher wasn?t giving up and his relentless pressure on Lyons eventually paid dividends as he grabbed second.

Then we got going! Another perfect ride by the Sneddon/Wethers pair gained 5 at the expense of Stojanowski/Mills, and then it was no great surprise as Lawson and Jonasson, both now flying, repeated the dose ahead of Watson and Smethills.

Suddenly we were ten up and obviously in TR territory, with Jason Lyons out in heat 12. He led the way and seemed sure to take 6, with Birkinshaw in second, which was going to put a big dent in our advantage.

However the luck the swung our way as Jason stopped towards the end of lap three, and he had to push for a lap to make the race a 5-2.

Heat 13 had always looked good for us, and after a tumble at the first attempt (which looked like Watson?s fault but brought an all-four decision) Lawson and Fisher easily took a 5-1. Ryan had had trouble getting his engine firing, but all was well.

We were now 11 up with two heats left and when Brummies didn?t use a TS we had won the match. Perhaps they should have, because Matthew stopped and Aaron struggled as we conceded a 5-1.

However we put a more realistic look back on the scoreline as Ryan and William raced home to our sixth 5-1 of the night over the lengthy names of Stojanowski and Birkinshaw (21 letters between them) in the last heat. It was Birko?s fourth race on the trot as he showed all his usual commitment.

There was no victory parade though apparently this was because we were not organised at the right time.

Birmingham Brummies v Edinburgh Monarchs

The Monarchs are on the road again on Wednesday night to take on Birmingham in a Premier League match at Perry Barr, a track at which they produced one of their worst performances of the season last year.

Last season was Birmingham?s first in the Premier League and Edinburgh?s first visit to the track resulted in a match which lasted just one heat ? a 5-1 for the Brummies ? before the inevitable postponement was announced as the track was in a terrible mess caused by the rain. Maybe it was an omen of what was to come because when the match finally took place last September the Monarchs managed just 29 points in a 63-29 hammering.

Both sides are unrecognisable from that match. Birmingham no longer have Henning Bager, Henrik Moller, Manuel Hauzinger and Ben Powell in the side which rode that night. Only Jason Lyons and Lee Smart have survived although not even Smart will be riding in this match. Similarly Edinburgh no longer have George Stancl, Kai Laukkanen and Kalle Katajisto with only Derek Sneddon, Andrew Tully and Matthew Wethers as survivors.

Birmingham have been decimated by injuries this season and are still without Kyle Legault, Adam Roynon, Phil Morris, Lee Smart and Jack Hargreaves. While Legault is no longer in their declared 1-7, the Brummies will be using Rider Replacement at number 1 for Adam Roynon with Chris Mills (Reading) guesting at number 2, Krzysztof Stojanowski (Isle of Wight) guesting at number 4 and Lee Smethills (Sheffield) guesting at number 6.

Having to use R/R for Roynon weakens the side but the guests they have managed to get to ride for them have frequently strengthened the team since Lee Smart and Jack Hargreaves have official averages way better than the scores they were returning prior to their long injuries. They triumphed over Sheffield in the Premier Trophy semi-final and, away from home, have recently run Reading close at Smallmead and beaten Glasgow at Ashfield which suggests that they are able to track teams which are, to say the least, very competitive.

For Wednesday?s match, every team member can take an R/R ride. With three established heat leaders and a top class second string in their ranks, Lyons, Watson, Stojanowski and Mills, they have excellent cover for the facility, the envy no doubt of many of the other clubs in the league. Effectively the team they have put together for this match consists of four heat leaders. The two reserves they have for this match are both capable of big scores. James Birkinshaw has recently returned from injury and is scoring well while Lee Smethills with a 5.38 average is able to replace Jack Hargreaves whose form before his injury had been poor.

All in all this is a match where Edinburgh will do well to get close to a result particularly if they are as poor out of the gate as they were at Sheffield last week. Poor gating on away tracks is a sure-fire recipe for defeat and last Thursday?s was abysmal. Even at home to Reading on Friday the Monarchs struggled to match their visitors from the starts.

Thomas Jonasson is likely to be a key man for the Monarchs as he was at Sheffield last week. He hasn?t ridden the track before so it remains to be seen whether it is to his liking. Only Derek Sneddon won a race at Birmingham last year for Edinburgh while Matthew Wethers and Andrew Tully managed three second places between them. However such comparisons have little relevance in a match such as this.

It will all boil down to which team dominates from the gate and whether Edinburgh?s team spirit and will to win can counter the home track knowledge and all round strength of the Brummies. The clever money will be on a home victory although, judging by current weather forecasts, the rain may be the ultimate victor.

The teams (according to the Birmingham Official Website) are:

Birmingham ? Adam Roynon (Rider Replacement), Chris Mills (Guest), Jason Lyons, Krzysztof Stojanowski (Guest), Craig Watson, Lee Smethills (Guest), James Birkinshaw.

Edinburgh ? William Lawson, Thomas Jonasson, Derek Sneddon, Matthew Wethers, Ryan Fisher, Andrew Tully and Aaron Summers.

May the better team win.