Sheffield Star Tigers 55
: Edinburgh Century Mortgages Monarchs 35Edinburgh win by 91 points to 89 points.
Premier League Cup
Owlerton Stadium, Sheffield
Thursday 26th August 1999
Monarchs ground out a single point aggregate win over Sheffield with a real ‘backs to the wall’ display. Edinburgh seemed well in command of the overall scoreline in the early stage only for the ferocity of the Sheffield onslaught to bear dividend. Monarchs gamble with a double tactical substitution in heat 8 failed and only produced a 4-2 heat advantage. Sheffield chipped away at the Monarchs lead until a 5-1 in heat 13 reduced this to only two points. Ross Brady produced a stunning win in heat 14 to deny Tigers.
That left a last heat decider with Monarchs requiring at least a 3-3 to progress and Sheffield needing a 5-1. Seemingly the most likely result, a Sheffield 4-2, would have led to a two-leg replay. This would have been highly undesirable given Monarchs already packed fixture list. In the event, while Sean Wilson gated to win the last heat, Peter Carr and guest Paul Pickering filled the minor placing to send the visiting Monarchs support wild.
Monarchs had Brian Turner making his debut at number 6 while James Grieves missed the meeting due to a reoccurrence of his rib injuries. Paul Pickering came in hoping to avoid a repeat of his previous disasters in a Monarchs race jacket. Ironically, his last appearance was in the away leg of the Cup at Newport where he fell twice and knocked off James Grieves. This was the original cause of James’s rib injury. Sheffield brought back Peter Boast after a long lay-off through injury.
The day was warm and the track had received a lot of treatment after a earlier downpour of rain.
Gate position A was used with Edinburgh off 2 and 4 for the first heat.
Heat 1: Sean Wilson, Paul Pickering, Paul Lee [62.2]
Wilson gated from Lee while Elkins appeared to suffer an engine failure. Pickering passed Lee on the back straight.
(4-2) (4-2)
Heat 2: Simon Cartwright, Blair Scott, Brian Turner, Peter Boast [64.4]
Turner made a stunning start but found Cartwright’s speed on the back straight too much. Blair Scott easily outpaced Peter Boast before taking over from Turner in second.
(3-3) (7-5)
Heat 3: André Compton, Kevin Little, Ross Brady, Simon Stead [63.7]
This heat was rerun with four back after Ross Brady was adjudged to have suffered from first bend bunching when he fell. Kevin Little made a fair start but was left by André Compton. Simon Stead seemed certain to pass Little but made a rash move on the outside of the fourth bend and fell gifting Monarchs a precious drawn heat. Stead remounted to finish.
(3-3) (10-8)
Heat 4: Scott Smith, Peter Carr, Simon Cartwright, Blair Scott [63.4]
Scott Smith gated ahead of Carr and Cartwright. Carr seemed to slip on the back straight and had to pass Cartwright to secure second place.
(4-2) (14-10)
Heat 5: André Compton, Paul Pickering, Simon Stead [62.0]
Pickering gated from Compton and Stead while Elkins retired once more. Compton chased and passed Pickering but Stead was unable to get near.
(4-2) (18-12)
Heat 6: Sean Wilson, Peter Carr, Blair Scott, Paul Lee [61.5]
Brian Turner broke the tapes big time after presumably suffering a clutch failure. Blair Scott came in to replace Brian. This worked in Monarchs’ favour as Blair shot out of the gate and backed Peter Carr to a drawn heat with Lee unable to do anything about it.
(3-3) (21-15)
Heat 7: Scott Smith, Simon Cartwright, Kevin Little [62.4]
Simon Cartwright came in as a reserve change for Boast. Ross Brady missed the start and Kevin Little could do nothing to prevent Smith and Cartwright taking the lead. Brady took over from the toiling Little but could make no impression.
(5-1) (26-16)
Heat 8: Peter Carr, Paul Lee, Paul Pickering, Peter Boast [61.8]
Sheffield put in Peter Boast for Cartwright. Edinburgh’s tactics of using Carr and Pickering as double tactical substitutes looked like overkill. It failed to come off with Lee making a good start and holding off Pickering. Edinburgh’s most potent tactical substitutions had been blown. Blair Scott would surely have beaten Boast and indeed he had already beaten Lee two heats earlier.
(2-4) (28-20)
Heat 9: André Compton, Peter Carr, Simon Stead, Brian Turner [61.3]
Peter Carr gated but Compton who missed the start threaded his way through the field. He made up a large gap on Carr and entered the final lap just behind. He used speed on the straight to get inside Carr going into the third bend and just resisted an outside charge by Carr to win on the line.
(4-2) (32-22)
Heat 10: Sean Wilson, Paul Lee, Kevin Little [62.3]
Ross Brady stalled on the start line and Little could do nothing to stop Wilson and Lee bring Sheffield to within 8 points on aggregate.
(5-1) (37-23)
Heat 11: Paul Pickering, Scott Smith, Peter Boast [62.3]
Scott Smith cut in front of Pickering who fell on the second bend. Paul was invited back for the rerun as was Justin Elkins who Sheffield felt was not under power. Elkins fared no better in the rerun on Brian Turner’s bike but Pickering gated and won to keep Tigers at bay.
(3-3) (40-26)
Heat 12: André Compton, Ross Brady, Simon Stead [62.1]
Edinburgh replaced the uncompetitive Kevin Little with Ross Brady. This turned out to be an astute move as Brady split Compton and Lee. Brian Turner fell at the back and was taken to hospital with a knee or ankle injury.
(4-2) (44-28)
Heat 13: Sean Wilson, Scott Smith, Peter Carr, Paul Pickering [61.1]
Wilson and Smith gated to record a maximum over Carr and Pickering and take Sheffield to within two points overall.
(3-3) (47-29)
Heat 14: Ross Brady, Simon Stead, Simon Cartwright, Blair Scott [62.0]
Monarchs were really up against it now with Blair Scott and Ross Brady facing heat 14 specialist Simon Stead and Simon Cartwright (in for Peter Boast). Brady and Scott shot out of the gate and while Scott was swallowed up on the back straight by the Sheffield pairing, Ross held his line to win without difficulty.
(3-3) (50-32)
Heat 15: Sean Wilson, Peter Carr, Paul Pickering, André Compton [61.0]
With Sheffield needing a maximum and Monarchs needing a tie, the match could not have been better poised. Edinburgh went with experience and opted for Pickering to join Carr while Sheffield went with their two unbeaten riders. Sheffield won the toss for gate position and amazingly opted for gates 1 and 3 despite the fact that outside gates appeared better at this stage. Wilson made the start to complete an immaculate maximum. However Carr was just behind and was soon joined by Pickering who had enough momentum to sweep past Compton on the back straight.
(3-3) (55-35)
|
Sheffield Tigers |
|
|
|
||||
|
Sean Wilson |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
15 |
|
|
Paul Lee |
1 |
0 |
2 |
2* |
|
|
5+1 |
|
André Compton |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
0 |
12 |
|
|
Simon Stead |
0 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
|
4 |
|
Scott Smith |
3 |
3 |
2 |
2* |
|
|
10+1 |
|
Peter Boast |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
|
1 |
|
|
Simon Cartwright |
3 |
1 |
2* |
1 |
1* |
|
8+2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Edinburgh Monarchs |
|
|
|
||||
|
Paul Pickering |
2 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
1* |
9+1 |
|
Justin Elkins |
R |
R |
R |
|
|
|
0 |
|
Kevin Little |
2 |
0 |
1 |
|
|
|
3 |
|
Ross Brady |
1* |
1* |
R |
2 |
3 |
|
7+1 |
|
Peter Carr |
2 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
12 |
|
Brian Turner |
1* |
T |
0 |
X |
|
|
1+1 |
|
Blair Scott |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
3 |
|
This result was obtained due to a team effort rather than any one individual. Peter Carr was steady rather than spectacular
but came up with the goods in heat 15. Paul Pickering put aside his past problems when guesting for Monarchs with a solid show backing Carr to the crucial 3-3 in heat 15. Kevin Little had another nightmare failing to beat a Sheffield rider apart from Simon Stead who fall in heat 3.Justin Elkins failed to finish a race! Ross Brady started badly with a fall in heat 3 and did not score the points expected of him until he hit form in his last two rides and ultimately save the day for Monarchs. Blair Scott had a fair meeting and maybe should have been left in heat 8. Brian Turner had a fair debut apart from his fall in heat 12.
Sean Wilson never looked like being beaten. André Compton did a lot from the back but finally came unstuck in heat 15. Scott Smith dropped only one point to Paul Pickering.
Support for the top three came mainly from Simon Cartwright and Paul Lee. Peter Boast was off the pace on his comeback. The four-point return from Simon Stead was probably what cost Tigers the tie. Stead was paid 14 against Monarchs in the League match but never really recovered after falling in heat 3.
Edinburgh have still to be beaten over two legs in a knockout competition and will fancy their chances against both Newport and Arena Essex in the Premier National Trophy and Premier League Cup.
Man of the match: Sean Wilson
Most exciting rider: André Compton
Next meeting: v Glasgow, Premier League, Armadale on Friday 27th August 1999
John Lowe