Edinburgh Monarchs 46: Swindon Robins 43
Premier League
Lothian Arena, Armadale
Friday 25th August 2000
Edinburgh were made to work very hard to maintain their unbeaten home Premier League by the bang in-form Swindon Robins. Indeed when the visitors surged into a 16-8 lead after only four heats few would have given Monarchs a chance of coming back. Monarchs gradually clawed their way back without the need to employ tactical substitutes thanks to another immaculate 15-point maximum from Peter Carr with support from Robert Eriksson, Ross Brady and eventually Blair Scott.
While Edinburgh soon pulled back the early deficit and were in the lead by the end of heat 10, Swindon fought back to take a one-point lead after heat 11. This lead was maintained through three successive tied heats. In the last heat decider André Compton and Paul fry proved to be no match for Peter Carr and Robert Eriksson.
Both teams were at full strength. Swindon used André Compton as guest in place of the banned Frank Smart. The weather was warm and dry at the start although clouds built up over the Arena and light rain fell for most of the second half of the meeting.
Peter Carr inevitably lost the toss and Neil Collins opted for gate position B with Monarchs off 2 and 4 in heat 1.
Heat 1: André Compton, Martin Dixon, Robert Eriksson, Blair Scott [57.2]
The visitors opened with a strong pairing off the inside gates but even they would not have expected such an easy maximum. André Compton edged ahead of Eriksson pushing him wide. Martin Dixon cut back and exploited the situation to move ahead of Eriksson off the second bend. Dixon is always difficult to pass at Armadale and he withstood all that Eriksson could throw at him.
(1-5) (1-5)
Heat 2: Oliver Allen, Will Beveridge, Mark Steel, Christian Henry [58.7]
Allen gated and Henry took a hit on the first bend and slipped back. Beveridge could make no impression on Allen and concentrated on keeping ahead of Steel.
(2-4) (3-9)
Heat 3: Peter Carr, Claus Kristensen, Ross Brady [57.3]
The visitors again made the start but Carr cut inside them on the second bend effortlessly. Ross Brady recovered from a bad start and seemed set to attempt a pass on Neil Collins when the Swindon captain's bike ground to a halt on the back straight in a shower of sparks. This ensured that Monarchs cut the lead slightly.
(4-2) (7-11)
Heat 4: Paul Fry, Mark Steel, Kevin Little, Christian Henry [58.4]
Mark Steel started from gate one and somehow managed to push Christian Henry into the second bend fence with Fry ahead as Kevin Little cut inside. Mark Steel can count himself lucky to be invited back for the rerun. Fry and Steel made the start in the rerun Kevin Little had a dismal ride and was unable to make an impression on the Swindon reserve in his Armadale debut.
(1-5) (8-16)
Heat 5: Peter Carr, Ross Brady, André Compton, Martin Dixon [57.2]
Carr got the drop on Compton and Dixon from the gate. Ross Brady swept around the outside and passed Compton on the third bend. He then rode well to keep Compton out.
(5-1) (13-17)
Heat 6: Robert Eriksson, Paul Fry, Oliver Allen, Blair Scott [58.3]
Robert Eriksson made the start from gate 4 but Blair Scott was at the back and the Swindon lead was maintained.
(3-3) (16-20)
Heat 7: Kevin Little, Neil Collins, Will Beveridge [59.3]
Will Beveridge made a good start but Kevin Little fell at the first bend and restarted. Claus Kristensen then demolished the fourth bend fence and was excluded. Little took advantage of his good fortune and gated. Beveridge tucked in behind and was chased by Neil Collins. Beveridge made a minor slip on the last lap and Collins passed.
(4-2) (20-22)
Heat 8: Martin Dixon, Will Beveridge [60.2]
Will Beveridge replaced Christian Henry. The Monarchs pairing started well but Dixon appeared to be ahead as Mark Steel lost it and went into the second bend fence and was excluded. Blair Scott's hope of extending his run of heat 8 Armadale wins was ended abruptly with an engine failure on the line. Martin Dixon led Will Beveridge all the way.
(2-3) (22-25)
Heat 9: Peter Carr, Paul Fry, Oliver Allen, Ross Brady [58.8]
Another gate for the visitors. While Peter Carr cut inside to lead, Ross Brady was stuck behind the team riding Swindon pair.
(3-3) (25-28)
Heat 10: Robert Eriksson, Blair Scott, Neil Collins, Claus Kristensen [59.4]
Blair Scott came out on a bike borrowed from a teammate and made a tremendous start from gate 1. He was joined at the front by Robert Eriksson. This early advantage was maintained and Monarchs took the lead for the first time.
(5-1) (30-29)
Heat 11: André Compton, Kevin Little, Martin Dixon, Will Beveridge [58.8]
This is usually the heat where Monarchs are most vulnerable. It was especially the case with Compton and Dixon out for the visitors. Little missed the start but had a go up the inside on the back straight nearly taking the lead. He tried to get inside Compton on the third and fourth bend but couldn't get through. This regained the lead for Swindon.
(2-4) (32-33)
Heat 12: Peter Carr, Neil Collins, Oliver Allen [59.7]
Carr and Henry gated, To the surprise of many, Christian held off Neil Collins right through until the last lap. Collins managed to get inside Henry on the back straight. Henry could have settled for one point but instead tried a big one around the last bend only hit the fence and got nothing.
(3-3) (35-36)
Heat 13: Robert Eriksson, Kevin Little [59.6]
The game looked to be up for Monarchs as Compton and Fry sped away from the tapes. However this did not last as Compton soon stopped. Fry held his lead despite pressure from Eriksson on the outside and Little on the inside.
(3-3) (38-39)
Heat 14: Ross Brady, Oliver Allen, Claus Kristensen [60.5]
Swindon replaced Steel with Allen. Will Beveridge was harshly excluded after tangling with a Swindon rider on the first bend. All four back seemed the logical decision but referee Craig Ackroyd didn't see it that way. In the re-run, Kristensen was penalized for tape touching. Since Steel had already been subbed, the only action they could take was to put Kristensen back on a 15m handicap. This also lost gate position for Swindon with the lone Monarch Ross Brady moving to gate 2. Brady took full advantage rounding Allen to win the heat.
(3-3) (41-42)
Heat 15: Peter Carr, Robert Eriksson, André Compton, Paul Fry [57.7]
Peter Carr and Robert Eriksson made no mistake leading from flag to tapes to secure another home win.
(5-1) (46-43)
|
Edinburgh Monarchs |
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Robert Eriksson |
1 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
2* |
|
|
11+1 |
|
Blair Scott |
0 |
0 |
R |
2* |
|
|
|
2+1 |
|
Peter Carr |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
|
|
15 |
|
Ross Brady |
1 |
2* |
0 |
3 |
|
|
|
6+1 |
|
Kevin Little |
1 |
3 |
2 |
1* |
|
|
|
7+1 |
|
Will Beveridge |
2 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
X |
|
|
5 |
|
Christian Henry |
0 |
0 |
F |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Swindon |
|
|
|
|
||||
|
André Compton |
3 |
1 |
3 |
R |
1 |
|
|
8 |
|
Martin Dixon |
2* |
0 |
3 |
1 |
|
|
6+1 |
|
|
Neil Collins |
R |
2 |
2 |
2 |
|
|
|
6 |
|
Claus Kristensen |
2 |
X |
0 |
1* |
|
|
|
3+1 |
|
Paul Fry |
3 |
2 |
1* |
3 |
0 |
|
|
9+1 |
|
Oliver Allen |
3 |
1* |
2 |
1* |
2 |
|
|
9+2 |
|
Mark Steel |
1 |
2* |
X |
|
|
|
|
3+1 |
Monarchs did fight back well after looking well beaten in the early stages. It did look as if Peter Carr was going to have to beat Swindon single-handed. Robert Eriksson missed the start twice and found the going tough from the back. Kevin Little was fortunate to get a second chance in heat 7 after falling and only managed to beat a couple of visiting riders.
Blair Scott started badly and was pointless until he took a paid win in his last ride. Ross Brady was hit and miss but produced a good ride in heat 14 when the pressure was really on. Will Beveridge looked sharp against the strongest reserves in the Premier League. He was unlucky with a heat 14 exclusion. Christian Henry also was rather unlucky to fall in heat 12 after leading Neil Collins and Oliver Allen for most of the heat.
Swindon, like Hull a couple of weeks ago, scored points all the way down the line. While none of their three Armadale specialists, André Compton, Martin Dixon and Neil Collins quite hit the target, their three Armadale underperformers, Paulo Fry, Oliver Allen, and Claus Kristensen made up. Fry was unrecognizable from the riders who toiled with Stoke last year and who couldn't get round the Armadale track with Newport two years back. Mark Steel made a solid Armadale debut although he was a bit wild and was lucky to stay in heat 4. His meeting ended early with a nasty looking fall in heat 8.
Man of the match: Peter Carr
Next meeting: v Exeter, Premier League, Armadale on Friday 1st September 2000
John Lowe