Scunthorpe Scorpions v Edinburgh Monarchs

REPORT Saturday 11th July 2009, 10:00pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

The intention at Scunthorpe was to keep the score close in the first leg of the Premier Trophy semi-final, but we went one better and won the match 46-44.

We were definitely the better team, taking the lead in heat 1 and only once dropping behind (after heat 11). The only reason we did not win much more easily was the powerful scoring of Simon Lambert at reserve for the Scorpions.

The star of the show was Ryan Fisher but it was actually a 7-man team display, one of our best of the season and reminiscent of 2008.

In fact guest Ben Wilson was fastest out of the gate in heat 1, but by the time the riders reached the third bend both Fisher and Rajkowski had barged past, going on to complete a 5-1. It?s a lovely way to start and we set out to retain that lead.

It was new man Bekker who did a good job in heat 2, splitting Lambert and Hart, while Aaron Summers was worryingly tailed off.

Thomas made a fine return to the team by blasting away from gate 1 to win heat 3, and with Matthew Wethers picking up the point we regained our 4-point lead. It was Adam Allott who split our riders and the normally impressive Wilkinson was at the back.

Heat 4, another race win as Andrew Tully flew from gate 4 on a track he knows so well to head David Howe. And we made it four race wins out of 5 when Ryan Fisher took the next one, with the Raj just missing out after an exciting tussle for the minor places. This heat was stopped twice for fliers with Fisher on Jonasson?s bike for the first two attempts.

Ben Wilson came to life to beat Andrew in heat 6 with Aaron again well back, but we were still 2 points up.

We comfortably shared heat 7 behind David Howe but the Scorpions soon drew level as danger man Lambert won heat 8. The Raj took a second and Byron was well in the mix lying third for a while before being overhauled by Bergstrom.

The danger was that we would now fall away, but we needn?t have worried - Aaron got himself going to lead all the way in heat 9 with Andrew shepherding. It was some change from the no. 6.

Thomas seemed to struggle with his machine in heat 10 in which Matthew split the home riders.

We went from two up to 2 down in heat 11. Ryan got what seemed like a flier, but he was so shocked that he lost the lead going down the back straight with Howe and Lambert going either side of him. For the rest of the thrilling race he chased fiercely, getting in between the home men on a few occasions, and he seemed to have grabbed second on the line though the ref did not give him it.

So we were behind for the first and only time in the match.

Riding to the rescue this time were Jonasson and Summers with our third 5-1 of the night. Remember how we always had the men for the moment in our last championship year?

Next came heat 13 and it was memorable. Wilson and Howe were the leaders most of the way with Fisher setting up a mind-boggling chase which involved going at incredible speed very wide and somehow avoiding the fence. He finally got ahead on the last lap, lost the lead again to Wilson and then regained it on the run to the line.

It was unbelievable, deservedly praised by the very fair meeting presenter.

Lambert won heat 14 so we went in to the last heat two points up. Again Fisher was the hero, leading all the way this time, though Thomas almost took third from Lambert.

So the result means we SHOULD make the final, but we are not a club to count any chickens. Job well done - so far.

Full Result Details