Astonishing last gasp win in a thriller

It had been billed in the run up as a 'titanic tussle against the Tigers' and boy it did not disappoint as the Stellar Monarchs edged out the home men in a match that literally went to the last yard of an added on 'Super Heat' that was needed to seperate the sides.

A nip and tuck battle with almost too much action to describe could not see a clear winner after the 15 programmed races so it was off to a run off to decide who took the majority of the spoils.

The protagonist's were Josh Pickering and Justin Sedgmen for the Monarchs with home top pair Chris Harris and Steve Worrall the opposition.

The same quintet having already served up two outrageous races in both heats 13 and 15 saved perhaps the best till last.

Worrall was away best and whether by design or chance he then proceeded to hold up the three faster men behind him.

Sedgmen and Pickering were in the crucial second and third spots which would be enough to take the win on the night but with Harris buzzing about behind then no one was comfortable, at times it looked like Sedgmen was going to get the run on Worrall while at the back Harris was biding his time.

The former world number six moving to the outside and going for an almighty blast at the end that many thought had seen him into third place on the line.

It wasn't enough though as the Monarchs were adjudged to have held on to send the team, fans and management into delirium.

A delighted Monarchs captain Paco Castagna saying once the dust had settled, 'All we talked about during the last month was shown tonight, I was impressed by our performance not in any way shocked but we showed what we were capable off.

'I wasn't happy with my own performance but I had one of my worst meetings of the year and we still won so that shows it's a team effort and the boys all did well.'

The action was electric right from the first heat as Pickering once again in exhilarating form stormed past Harris to take the win.

The Tigers would then try and put their stamp on matters with a maximum heat advantage in heat two followed by 4-2 advantages in the next two so with four heats gone it was a six point home lead.

Even this early in the season the Monarchs have shown they have a spine to them and the comeback would start in heat five with a Pickering and Lasse Fredriksen heat maximum, the latter having his best meeting of the season also.

Heat eight would see the visitors take the lead once again as Fredriksen and Connor Coles rocketed from the start, Coles holding off everything home man Paul Starke would throw at him to hold on.

Heat 12 and the scores were tied again with a home 4-2 and the stage was set for the drama to come.

Pickering who raced through his rides unbeaten to record a 15 point maximum alongside a new track record passing and re-passing with Harris to take the checkered flag in heat 13, with Sedgmen third meaning the Armadale men nipped ahead once again.

The penultimate race was another cracker as a blanket could have been thrown over the front three throughout. Home men James Pearson and Jack Smith finishing either side of Castagna to tie it going into heat 15.

Pickering and Harris will be seeing each other in their sleep tonight as once again they put on a breathtaking show the Monarch just taking it on the line.

So, the stage was set for the drama of the 'Super Heat' and in the end it's two points for the Stellar Monarchs that now means a home victory by any margin when the sides meet again at Armadale at the end of the month will see them through to the semi final of the BSN Series.

Glasgow 45 : Harris 11, Starke 2+1, Flint 6+1, Pearson 8, Worrall 9+1, Smith 5+1, Pijper 4+1

Stellar Monarchs 45 : Pickering 15, Fredriksen 6+1, Thomson 7+1, Castagna 5+1, Sedgmen 9, James 0, Coles 3+1

Monarchs win Super Heat 5-4

Derby Day At Ashfield

Deeper into the season than is normally the case, the first all-tartan clash between Edinburgh and Glasgow - if you discount April 12th's abandoned fixture at Ashfield - finally gets underway this weekend. And there's a great deal at stake…

With aggregate bonus point wins for both against Berwick nudging the Borderers out of the BSN Series picture, qualification through to the next stage is now a straight fight between the Scot's' pair.

And I think we are in for an exhilarating shoot-out over two legs (firstly at Ashfield this Friday, followed by the Armadale return in three week's time)

Apart from the similar paths the two teams have trodden to attain such a winner-takes-all situation in this competition, their respective fates in the Knockout Cup also resemble one another to a degree. Neither the Allied Vehicles Tigers nor Stellar Monarchs managed to overcome Oxford or Poole in their quarter-final ties which, with a trophy treble now out of the question for both sides, lends even more importance to further advancement in the BSN Series.

Their own KO Cup set-back aside, Glasgow have made a reasonably bright start to the 2024 campaign with an important, if narrow, Championship victory (47-43) over Workington at Ashfield last Friday adding to their aforementioned success against the Bandits.

Needless to say, the Tiger gathering most of the early season headlines has been the incomparable Chris Harris. 'Out of this world' was how team boss Cami Brown described Bomber's 15-point maximum against the Cumbrians and the former Grand Prix rider is sure to be front and centre of the Tigers' offensive strategy against their bitter rivals.

Another Glasgow rider in superlative form has been stand-in reserve (for the suspended Lee Complin) Jack Smith while, elsewhere, in Stevie Worrall, Leon Flint, Paul Starke, James Pearson and Ace Pijper, all capable of strong displays around their home track, Edinburgh can expect strong opposition on many fronts come Friday.

The Monarchs, for their part, are still smarting from a KO Cup exit that disappointed greatly after starting out so promisingly. Clawing back a nine-point first leg deficit to Poole was always going to be a tough ask, yet that gap had already been reduced to just a single point after the opening four heats, Joshie and Lasse's first heat 5-1 setting the tone for what was looking like a heroic comeback.

From that point on, however, it was all about the Pirates and the fact that Edinburgh had to wait until the final race to again taste a heat advantage, perhaps says it all.

As the dust settled, it's possible to reflect on the slender nature (five points) of our defeat in a positive light I suppose. Indeed, the fact that over half of the heats run ended all-square at 3-3 serves further to demonstrate how evenly matched the teams were over both legs.

For Friday's trip down the M8, the Stellar Monarchs will be at full strength and once again fully focussed in bringing back a favourable result ahead of the return leg later in the month.