Edinburgh Monarchs 51: Newcastle Diamonds 38
Premier National Trophy
Lothian Arena, Armadale
Friday 12th May 2000
Edinburgh secured their biggest win of the season and didn't really have to break sweat to do so. Newcastle, who are usually the most dangerous visitors at Armadale, never came into the meeting. It was a dull meeting with processional racing. This was quite unlike the Berwick match of two weeks back that produced a similar score.
Edinburgh started with three 5-1s and two 4-2s in the first six heats and built up a 14-point lead that was never threatened. Newcastle capitalized on a few lapses from the Monarchs side and used tactical substitutions to give the scoreline a false air of respectability. Edinburgh riders won twelve of the fifteen heats.
This win secured three points that returned them to third place in the Northern Group and to keep alive their hopes of qualification.
Edinburgh introduced their new line-up with Ross Brady making his debut at heat leader despite having a current average of just over four points! David McAllan should have made his return but he was a late call-off and Jon Swales stepped in using his brand new laydown. Newcastle were without Jesper Olsen and Portugal-bound Grant MacDonald. Martin Dixon guested for Olsen and rider replacement was used for MacDonald.
Stuart Swales won the toss and took gate position B using 1 and 3 in heat one.
Heat 1: Robert Eriksson, Bjarne Pedersen, Kevin Little, Will Beveridge [58.1]
Will Beveridge came in as rider replacement. Eriksson gated ahead of Pedersen with Beveridge. Little managed to get past Beveridge but let it slip. Kevin passed a second time and set off after Pedersen without seriously challenging him.
(4-2) (4-2)
Heat 2: Christian Henry, Jon Swales, Darren Pearson, Jamie Smith [60.7]
Christian Henry made the gate and was soon joined by Jon Swales who cut inside Jamie Smith. The Monarchs' pair consolidated their lead and Smith fell while chasing but restarted to finish. This was the first heat two 5-1 for Monarchs at Armadale this year. They used to claim maximums as of right last year.
(5-1) (9-3)
Heat 3: Peter Carr, Blair Scott, Will Beveridge [59.2]
Stuart Swales fell on the second bend after missing the start and retired. Peter Carr and Blair Scott swept ahead of Beveridge to take a 5-1. Blair Scott looked slightly unsteady on the slippy track.
(5-1) (14-4)
Heat 4: Martin Dixon, Ross Brady, Jamie Smith, Christian Henry [60.1]
The Newcastle pair gated but Ross Brady forced his way past to lead by the third bend. He showed his inexperience and allowed the wily Martin Dixon to pass. Christian Henry missed the start and was never able to seriously challenge Jamie Smith.
(2-4) (16-8)
Heat 5: Peter Carr, Bjarne Pedersen, Blair Scott, Darren Pearson [58.6]
Blair Scott made the start but Pedersen swept around the outside to hit the front. Peter Carr produced a characteristic cut back to lead by the third bend. Rider replacement Darren Pearson finished last.
(4-2) (20-10)
Heat 6: Robert Eriksson, Kevin Little, Martin Dixon, Darren Pearson [58.8]
Eriksson and Little gated ahead of Dixon for another maximum.
(5-1) (25-11)
Heat 7: Ross Brady, Stuart Swales, Jon Swales, Will Beveridge [59.6]
This was the best heat of the meeting. Ross Brady gated to win easily but there was a great race behind him. Jon Swales missed the start but looking impressive on his new bike, he carved his way through the field to pass first cousin Stuart and then Beveridge. Stuart Swales managed to get past his teammate and eventually passed Jon for second place.
(4-2) (29-13)
Heat 8: Kevin Little, Bjarne Pedersen, Christian Henry, Jamie Smith [58.4]
Bjarne Pedersen came in for rider replacement as a tactical substitute. Kevin Little made the start and held off Pedersen without real problems. Christian Henry chased Pedersen all the way.
(4-2) (33-15)
Heat 9: Peter Carr, Martin Dixon, Stuart Swales, Blair Scott [58.5]
Stuart Swales came in as a tactical substitute for Pearson. Dixon and Swales were battling to stay ahead of Scott when Carr produced an outrageous cut inside. He brushed Blair Scott aside and somehow beat Dixon to the third bend. Blair missed out and was stuck at the back to produce the first tied heat.
(3-3) (36-18)
Heat 10: Robert Eriksson, Stuart Swales, Will Beveridge, Jon Swales [58.9]
Kevin Little was excluded for tape touching and Jon Swales came in as a replacement. Eriksson gated to win and tie the heat.
(3-3) (39-21)
Heat 11: Bjarne Pedersen, Christian Henry [60.1]
Ross Brady attempted to go round the outside but was pushed wide by rider replacement Martin Dixon and into the second-bend fence. The referee to the dismay of the Monarchs support excluded Brady from the re-run. It certainly looked as if Dixon took Brady out and all four back would have been the right decision. There was a huge roar when Dixon never got off the line in the re-run. Christian Henry stayed with Pedersen all the way until he fell on the third bend of the third lap. Spurred on by the crowd, Henry managed to get up and limped home for two points.
(2-3) (41-24)
Heat 12: Peter Carr, Stuart Swales, Will Beveridge, Christian Henry [58.4]
Will Beveridge replaced Pearson as a tactical substitute. Carr missed the start but went around the outside to lead. Christian Henry tried everything to get out of last place.
(3-3) (44-27)
Heat 13: Ross Brady, Bjarne Pedersen, Martin Dixon, Jon Swales [59.6]
Eriksson had a clutch disintegrate on the line and touched the tapes as a result. He was unable to come in on a 15m handicap and Jon Swales came in. This really put the pressure on Brady but he went the long way around the outside to head off Pedersen at the third band and held on for a great win.
(3-3) (47-30)
Heat 14: Martin Dixon, Will Beveridge, Blair Scott, Jon Swales [60.4]
Martin Dixon came in as a tactical substitute for Smith. The Newcastle riders made the gate but Blair Scott appeared to have got past Beveridge on a couple of occasions but Beveridge came back on the inside. Blair lost ground trying to go wide and Jon Swales nearly pinched third place as a result.
(1-5) (48-35)
Heat 15: Robert Eriksson, Bjarne Pedersen, Stuart Swales [58.9]
Carr started slowly and coasted to a halt on the back straight. Robert Eriksson produced another stunning gate to win.
(3-3) (51-38)
|
Edinburgh Monarchs |
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Robert Eriksson |
3 |
3 |
3 |
T |
3 |
|
|
12 |
|
Kevin Little |
1 |
2* |
3 |
T |
|
|
|
6+1 |
|
Peter Carr |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
R |
|
|
12 |
|
Blair Scott |
2* |
3 |
0 |
1 |
|
|
|
4+1 |
|
Ross Brady |
2 |
3 |
X |
3 |
|
|
|
8 |
|
Jon Swales |
2* |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
3+1 |
|
Christian Henry |
3 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
|
|
6 |
|
Newcastle Diamonds |
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Bjarne Pedersen |
2 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
|
13 |
|
Grant MacDonald |
Rider replacement |
|
|
(2) |
||||
|
Stuart Swales |
F |
2 |
1* |
2 |
2 |
1* |
|
8+2 |
|
Will Beveridge |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1* |
1* |
2* |
|
5+3 |
|
Martin Dixon |
3 |
1 |
2 |
R |
1* |
3 |
|
10+1 |
|
Darren Pearson |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
Jamie Smith |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
1 |
Peter Carr and Robert Eriksson were both dominant and neither was troubled until hit by machine problems late on. Ross Brady made a confident start as heat leader on the basis of his 1999 average despite indifferent form so far. He won two heats including a stunning success in heat 13 and was unlucky to be excluded in heat 11.
Kevin Little looked more like his old self and was only beaten on the track by Pedersen before taping in his last ride. Blair Scott started well but faded in his last two rides. Jon Swales also looked the part in his first two rides but struggled thereafter in tough heats. Christian Henry always looked competitive but will have been disappointed to finish behind Jamie Smith in heat 4.
Pedersen and Dixon were the pick of the Newcastle team. Swales and Beveridge consistently filled minor places but never threatened to win a race. The absence of Jesper Olsen was obviously felt but Dixon turned out to be a good choice as guest with a ten point haul so the poor show cannot be blamed entirely on Jesper's absence. Grant MacDonald's four rides produced only two points all from a tactical substitution. The structure of the Newcastle team is all wrong with two heat leaders and three second strings. This is currently being addressed by the promotion.
Man of the match: Peter Carr
Next meeting: v Sheffield, Premier National Trophy, Armadale on Friday 19th May 2000
John Lowe