Edinburgh Monarchs 49: Sheffield Tigers 41
Premiership Second Leg
Lothian Arena, Armadale
Friday 31st March 2000
Edinburgh missed out on the Premiership by a margin of three points following a last heat decider. Robert Eriksson missed the start and trailed in last with Edinburgh needing a 5-1 to win.
Edinburgh must rue a bad start including letting Sheffield have a 5-1 in heat 2. Blair Scott had the misfortune to get into trouble when pressing Sean Wilson and trying to pass on the outside.
The day was cloudy and there was a hint of rain in the air on a cool night. The track was very greasy and this seemed to put off the home riders, in particular Ross Brady, more than the visitors. Sheffield were at full strength while Edinburgh used Jon Swales despite him failing to score in two away matches at Glasgow and Sheffield.
Peter Carr won the toss and chose gate position A with Sheffield off 2 and 4 for the first heat.
Heat 1: Kevin Little, Sean Wilson, Paul Lee, Blair Scott [58.5]
Heat one has been a problem for Edinburgh's new look line-up this year. Kevin Little made the gate from trap one while Sean Wilson was just behind. Blair Scott continued to try and pass Wilson on the outside. Kevin Little was having enough trouble staying ahead and could offer little support. Blair overdid things on second bend and slid wide allowing Paul Lee trough into third place. Kevin managed to repulse a half-hearted challenge by Wilson.
(3-3) (3-3)
Heat 2: Jamie Birkinshaw, Adam Allott, Jon Swales, Christian Henry [60.6]
Another disastrous heat two with Birkinshaw and Allott gating. While Jon Swales made an attempt to challenge the wobbly looking Allott, the visitors held on to go four up.
(1-5) (4-8)
Heat 3: Peter Carr, Robbie Kessler, Adam Allott, Ross Brady [58.4]
Simon Cartwright taped and was replaced by Allott. Kessler made a good start and Brady fell trying to get past. Peter Carr had no difficulties in winning. Brady restarted and rode around looking rather ragged.
(3-3) (7-11)
Heat 4: Robert Eriksson, Simon Stead, Christian Henry [59.2]
Robert Eriksson gated and won by a huge margin. Christian Henry fell at the back but restarted to take third as Birkinshaw and fell and retired.
(4-2) (11-13)
Heat 5: Peter Carr, Ross Brady, Sean Wilson, Paul Lee [58.7]
Carr and Brady swept ahead and Wilson made no impression.
(5-1) (16-14)
Heat 6: Blair Scott, Kevin Little, Simon Stead, Adam Allott [60.2]
Little gated from Stead and Scott. Stead appeared to have got ahead of Blair after a strong inside surge on the back straight. Blair came back and passed Stead on the outside and led Little home to a second maximum.
(5-1) (21-15)
Heat 7: Robert Eriksson, Robbie Kessler, Jon Swales [59.8]
Kessler and Cartwright made the start. Eriksson cut under Cartwright and was pursuing Kessler when Cartwright fell on the first bend. Swales had to lay down to avoid hitting Cartwright. In the rerun with Cartwright excluded, Eriksson made the start to win massively again.
(4-2) (25-17)
Heat 8: Sean Wilson, Paul Lee, Christian Henry [60.3]
Sean Wilson came in as a tactical substitute for Birkinshaw. Wilson and Lee made the start with Blair Scott pressing on the outside. Good team riding by Wilson kept Blair out until the Monarchs youngsterslid off on the third bend of the last lap.
(1-5) (26-22)
Heat 9: Peter Carr, Ross Brady, Simon Stead, Jamie Birkinshaw [60.2]
Birkinshaw was brought in to replace Allott as a reserve change. Carr and Brady produced another 5-1 despite an attempt by Stead to pass the wide-riding Brady using the inside line.
(5-1) (31-23)
Heat 10: Robbie Kessler, Blair Scott, Kevin Little, Paul Lee [58.2]
Paul Lee was brought in, illegally, as a tactical substitute for Cartwright. This should not have been allowed since Cartwright had only had one valid ride and could only make three rides with the aid of a tactical substitution ride. With Edinburgh only 8 points ahead, this was not guaranteed. Kessler made the start and kept out Blair Scott.
(3-3) (34-26)
Heat 11: Robert Eriksson, Sean Wilson, Paul Lee, Jon Swales [60.1]
Robert Eriksson had another very easy win but Wilson and Lee kept Swales at the back.
(3-3) (37-29)
Heat 12: Peter Carr, Robbie Kessler, Simon Stead, Christian Henry [60.8]
Simon Stead came in as a tactical substitute for Allott. Christian Henry was looking more comfortable and pressed Kessler and Stead for a lap or so.
(3-3) (40-32)
Heat 13: Robert Eriksson, Sean Wilson, Kevin Little, Simon Cartwright [60.1]
Sheffield finally got around to addressing Cartwright's 'missing ride' by bringing him in as a tactical substitute for Stead. Cartwright continued his dismal form by fall and restarting when last. Sean Wilson split Eriksson and Little to keep Sheffield ahead by a single point.
(4-2) (44-34)
Heat 14: Robbie Kessler, Ross Brady, Simon Cartwright [61.2]
Tactical substitute Kessler made another blistering outside run to head Brady. He resisted all efforts by Ross to get by. Jon Swales on Kevin Little's bike was holding an easy third place when he stopped on the back straight of the last lap to gift Cartwright an undeserved point. This left Edinburgh needing a 5-1 in the last heat to win the Premiership.
(2-4) (46-38)
Heat 15: Peter Carr, Robbie Kessler, Sean Wilson, Robert Eriksson [60.4]
Edinburgh won the toss for choice of gates and took 2 and 4. The undefeated Carr and Eriksson missed the gate. Carr managed to thread his way to the front but Eriksson was kept at the back.
(3-3) (49-41)
|
Edinburgh Monarchs |
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Kevin Little |
3 |
2* |
1* |
1 |
|
|
|
7+2 |
|
Blair Scott |
0 |
3 |
F |
2 |
5 |
|||
|
Peter Carr |
3 |
2* |
3 |
3 |
3 |
|
|
14+1 |
|
Ross Brady |
0 |
3 |
2* |
2 |
|
|
|
7+1 |
|
Robert Eriksson |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
0 |
|
|
12 |
|
Jon Swales |
1 |
1 |
0 |
R |
|
|
|
2 |
|
Christian Henry |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sheffield Tigers |
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Sean Wilson |
2 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
1* |
|
11+1 |
|
Paul Lee |
1* |
0 |
2* |
0 |
1 |
|
|
4+3 |
|
Robbie Kessler |
2 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
14 |
|
|
Simon Cartwright |
T |
X |
0 |
1 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
Simon Stead |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1* |
|
|
|
5+1 |
|
Adam Allott |
2* |
1* |
0 |
|
|
3+2 |
||
|
Jamie Birkinshaw |
3 |
F |
0 |
|
|
|
|
3 |
Peter Carr had an untroubled maximum. Robert Eriksson won by huge margins every time he made the start. Unfortunately he missed that start in the final heat decider. Kevin Little looked a lot sharper and only missed out to Kessler in heat 10 and to Wilson in heat 13.
Blair Scott was out of luck a couple of times but couldn't be faulted for lack of effort. Ross Brady looked a bit uncomfortable on the greasy track. Jon Swales, as ever, was hampered by his equipment although he looked a different proposition on Kevin Little's bike in his last ride. Christian Henry appeared to be on borrowed equipment and looked better as the meeting progressed.
Wilson was rather subdued although he eventually came good in the crucial heat 15. Robbie Kessler continued his fine Armadale form of 1997 as if he had never been away. Lee and Stead collected points without ever looking very convincing. Cartwright was dreadful with two exclusions and a fall and remount before picking up a gifted point in his last ride. Birkinshaw and Allott did well in heat 2 but made no real impression after that.
Man of the match: Peter Carr
Most exciting rider: Blair Scott
Next meeting: British Under-21 Final, Armadale on Friday 7th April 2000
John Lowe