Glasgow Tigers v Edinburgh Monarchs

REPORT Sunday 26th May 2013, 10:00pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

Obviously we can’t miss the chance to reflect on our biggest ever away win against the Tigers!

It was not without cost, because we lost Mitchell Davey with a broken wrist, even though first reports suggested he was OK. Mitchell had won heat 2 in style, then taken a gift in heat 6, but was the innocent victim as Joey Ringwood bounced off the fence in heat 9. His bike clattered Mitchell into the air and eventually a broken wrist was diagnosed.

Other than that, virtually everything went right for us. Our only unbeaten rider was Derek Sneddon, four faultless rides including keeping clear of the formidable Screen in heat 1.

Craig Cook dropped one point after a thrilling chase on Screen in heat 13, just a length down at the finish. Other than that he was unbeatable and showed his class and confidence when squeezing between Grieves and the fence in heat 11. Beautifully done.

Jozsef Tabaka dropped points only in heat 4 to Grieves, picking up an effortless paid 13 which included a couple of passes.

Perhaps if we had a Monarch of the Match for away matches, it would have gone to Max Fricke for his 7+2 which included outgunning Grieves on the run to the third turn in heat 7, helping to make a hole for Theo to pass as well.

Of course we can’t forget Theo, paid 11 from his first four, losing only to Screen who passed him late in heat 10.

Claus Vissing wasn’t all that happy after the match, even though he won two races. He fell in another and was pointless in heat 15. He had been trying out the engine on which Marcel Helfer finished up before he left.

We led 24-6 after heat 5, which surely we have never bettered away from home, than lost an 8-1, then stretched out to 39-18 by heat 9.

Screen won heat 10, then we rubbed it in with two more 5-1’s. We took the last two race winners via Tabaka and Cook, finishing with 12 race winners (3 to Joe Screen), 8 5-1s and a 61-32 mauling.

Full Result Details