Berwick Bandits 43: Edinburgh Century Mortgages Monarchs 50
Premier National Trophy
Shielfield Park, Berwick
Saturday 24th April 1999
Edinburgh secured their first ever win over Berwick at Shielfield Park in a competitive fixture. Monarchs seized the initiative with three 5-1 heat advantages in the first four heats. The final margin probably flatters Berwick because of a ‘golden double’ 8-1 win in heat 14. As with the pattern in recent years the Monarchs heat leaders dominated the fixture but this time found sufficient support from lower down the order to secure a win.
Monarchs were at full strength while Berwick paraded new Danish signing Claus Kristensen who has replaced his fellow countryman Jan Pedersen.
Gate position B was in used with Edinburgh off 1 and 3 for the first heat.
Heat 1: Scott Lamb, James Grieves, Blair Scott, Dean Felton [68.3]
Scott Lamb gated and was not really threatened by James Grieves. Blair Scott edged out Dean Felton on he first lap.
(3-3) (3-3)
Heat 2: Ross Brady, David McAllan, Wesley Waite, [60.2]
David McAllan made a fine start and was joined by Ross Brady who came around the outside. Phil Pickering mounted a challenge but fell on the first bend leaving the Monarchs reserves to win by a huge margin.
(1-5) (4-8)
Heat 3: Stewart McDonald, Kevin Little, Tom Madsen, David Meldrum [69.5]
Stewart McDonald gated and was eventually joined by Kevin Little for another heat maximum.
(1-5) (5-13)
Heat 4: Peter Carr, Ross Brady, Claus Kristensen, Wesley Waite [69.9]
Ross Brady made his customary lightening start and led with Peter Carr. Kristensen, on his second bike, made a poor start but pressurized Brady. As the Monarchs’ youngster made a couple of minor slips it appeared that the Dane would pass him but Carr dropped back to protect Brady with superb team riding.
(1-5) (6-18)
Heat 5: David Meldrum, Blair Scott, Tom Madsen [68.1]
Meldrum gated from Grieves with Scott ahead of Madsen. Grieves was struggling to make an impact on Meldrum when he suffered an engine failure to gift a first heat advantage to the Bandits.
(4-2) (10-20)
Heat 6: Peter Carr, Scott Lamb, Dean Felton, David McAllan [68.1]
Another win by Carr with Felton keeping McAllan at the back.
(3-3) (13-23)
Heat 7: Kevin Little, Stewart McDonald, Claus Kristensen, Phil Pickering [69.1]
Little and McDonald swept ahead from the start and resisted a series of surges from the back by Kristensen.
(1-5) (14-28)
Heat 8: Scott Lamb, David Meldrum, Blair Scott [69.2]
Scott Lamb came in as a tactical substitute for Wesley Waite and David Meldrum also replaced Dean Felton. Lamb gated ahead of Brady and Meldrum. Brady suffered an engine failure when second gifting a maximum to Berwick.
(5-1) (19-29)
Heat 9: Peter Carr, Tom Madsen, David Meldrum, David McAllan [68.6]
(3-3) (22-32)
Heat 10: Scott Lamb, Kevin Little, Stewart McDonald [68.9]
The first setback by Little and McDonald. Scott Lamb passed McDonald who then fell. Stewart quickly got going again and was rewarded when Felton stopped on the back straight.
(3-3) (25-35)
Heat 11: James Grieves, Claus Kristensen, Blair Scott, Phil Pickering [69.2]
It looked like another 5-1 for Monarchs as Grieves and Scott led until Kristensen produced a great pass on Scott going into the last bend.
(2-4) (27-39)
Heat 12: Kevin Little, Tom Madsen, Wesley Waite [68.8]
Monarchs made a reserve change bringing in Ross Brady for David McAllan. Kevin Little won from the start but Brady was in trouble with his engine once more and stopped.
(3-3) (30-42)
Heat 13: Peter Carr, Claus Kristensen, James Grieves, Scott Lamb [67.7]
Peter Carr made a blistering start to lead from Kristensen and Lamb. Grieves was stuck at the back but never gave up and his chase of Lamb was rewarded with a magnificent outside pass on the last lap. Lamb forced Grieves out wide but he still managed to squeeze through on the back straight fence.
(2-4) (32-46)
Heat 14: Claus Kristensen, David Meldrum, Stewart McDonald, David McAllan, [70.6]
The inevitable ‘golden double’ arrived with Kristensen brought in as a tactical substitute for Pickering. Ross Brady’s mechanical woes continued as he was excluded under two minutes and replaced by McAllan. Meldrum got the drop on McDonald from the gate and held things up allow Kristensen to catch up. The Dane made short work of passing McAllan and set off after McDonald and eventually passed. When he had secured second place, Meldrum allowed Kristensen through.
(8-1) (40-47)
Heat 15: Kevin Little, Claus Kristensen, David Meldrum, Stewart McDonald [69.1]
With the match over by heat 13, Berwick rested the unwell Scott Lamb in favour of Meldrum. Monarchs’ gave a last heat outing to Stewart McDonald instead of maximum man Peter Carr. Kevin Little gated to win ahead of the Berwick paring.
(3-3) (43-50)
|
Berwick Bandits |
|||||||
|
Scott Lamb |
3 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
0 |
|
11 |
|
Dean Felton |
0 |
1* |
E |
|
|
|
1+1 |
|
Tom Madsen |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
|
|
6 |
|
David Meldrum |
0 |
3 |
2* |
1* |
2* |
1* |
9+4 |
|
Claus Kristensen |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
6 |
2 |
14 |
|
Phil Pickering |
F |
0 |
0 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
Wesley Waite |
1 |
0 |
1* |
|
|
|
2+1 |
|
Edinburgh Monarchs |
|
|
|
||||
|
James Grieves |
2 |
E |
3 |
1 |
|
|
6 |
|
Blair Scott |
1* |
2 |
1 |
1 |
|
|
5+1 |
|
Kevin Little |
2* |
3 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
|
13+1 |
|
Stewart McDonald |
3 |
2* |
1* |
1 |
0 |
|
7+2 |
|
Peter Carr |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
|
|
12 |
|
David McAllan |
2* |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
2+1 |
|
Ross Brady |
3 |
2* |
E |
E |
M |
|
5+1 |
James Grieves was only paid for six points yet did little wrong apart from a heat 5 engine failure. Peter Carr was never in danger of being beaten winning by huge margins from the gate. Kevin Little showed how to ride the Shielfield track only missing out on a maximum after losing out to Scott Lamb in heat 10.
Stewart McDonald had by far his best meeting of the season despite never being noted as a big track specialist. Blair Scott was solid enough and scored in four rides.
David McAllan had a good heat 2 but struggled thereafter. Ross Brady started with two paid wins but suffered from mechanical gremlins from then on.
Scott Lamb sustained Berwick in the early stages. Kristensen looked better as the meeting went on. He is going to be a great signing for Berwick on this evidence. He showed glimpses of the form of Nicki Pedersen this time last year. Madsen is beginning to settle although he found some of the Monarchs riders tough to beat.
David Meldrum showed his potential with a great showing after scoring a blank in his first ride. The other Berwick riders made little impression with Felton only finishing ahead of McAllan while Waite picked up only gifts.
Man of the match: Peter Carr for a full maximum.
Most exciting rider: Claus Kristensen for great battling from the back.
Next meeting: v Sheffield, Premier League, Owlerton on Thursday 29th April 1999
John Lowe