Sheffield Tigers v Edinburgh Monarchs

REPORT Thursday 12th June 2008, 10:00pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

This was a much talked-about match but it was probably the first time this season that we haven?t come up to expectations.

There were two main reasons for that ? firstly we couldn?t gate, and secondly we made just about the worst start possible.

After Ashworth had made the gate in heat 1, our new opening pair of Fisher and Lawson settled in to the minor placings. However Parsons sailed past Lawson at the end of lap one, and on the back straight of lap two, BOTH Monarchs? riders stopped at virtually the same moment.

For both riders, it was a bad blow-up and desperately unlucky. For the team, it was a 0-5.

Smethills made the gate in heat 2 and was chased home by Tully and Summers.

We expected Thomas to like the track, and so it proved in heat 3 as he chased Compton all the way.

However we were continually being beaten to the first turn, and this kept on happening. The first nine heat winners were all from Sheffield, and we lost 5-1?s in heats 4, 6 and 8.

Fisher was now on his Armadale engine and his high hopes of doing well were blown along with the engine. Jonasson took a TR ride in heat 7 but could do no better than second to Wilson.

The locals confirmed that their team was performing far better than they had done in recent weeks, and it certainly seemed they were well prepared for us.

Heat 9 was a concern as Andrew drifted into the fence round the first corner and took a clatter to the ankle and the bike. Thankfully he eventually rose and refused the ambulance ride.

We finally got a race win in heat 10 as Jonasson flew round to beat Ashworth by miles. However the score was 40-21 and the match was gone.

We shared the next couple of heats with Andrew back on board in heat 12 and taking second.

William split Wilson and Ashworth in heat 13 as Matthew completed a disappointing night on 4 points. Wilson was something of a revelation with his speed.

The last two heats were about our best all night! Thomas always looked a likely winner, and Aaron was really on the pace now, pulling off a very good outside overtake on Cooper to complete the 5-1.

Ashworth was an easy winner of heat 15 but Aaron and Thomas fought a tough battle for the minor places with the previously invincible Compton.

He eventually cut inside Thomas and blocked him out but Aaron stuck to a profitable outside line to record a notable second place.

Full Result Details