Edinburgh Monarchs 47: Glasgow Tigers 31
Scottish Masters Challenge
Lothian Arena, Armadale
Friday 6th July 2001
Edinburgh have struggled against Glasgow in recent Armadale encounters but swept them aside on this occasion despite being under strength. Much credit for this must go to Edinburgh's Australian trio who picked up 13 paid 15 between them despite a couple of tapes exclusions.
Edinburgh blitzed Glasgow from the start with five straight heat advantages including a couple of 5-1 maximums to establish a 14-point lead. Glasgow stabilized things in the middle of meeting with the use of tactical substitutes and reserve changes but the lead remained at 12-points going into the last heat. A convincing 5-1 for Monarchs sealed a big win.
Glasgow gave extra tactical substitute rides to all three of their heat leaders. They also made some bewildering reserve changes. Derek Sneddon was programmed to ride at six and Simon Cartwright at seven but had the order changed. They then proceeded to switch them back into the rides they were down to take in the programme.
This win should set Monarchs up for an overall victory in the challenge when they go to Ashfield in the return.
Edinburgh were without their injured pair of Peter Carr and Dalle Andersson. David Walsh guested for Carr while Rory Schlein came in for Andersson. Glasgow tracked the side that many see as their preferred line-up from 1st August with Henning Bager coming in as a straight replacement for Stuart Swales at number two.
The line-up listed is actually two points above the 45-point limit but reductions in the averages for Simon Cartwright in the pipeline may make it a possibility. The Edinburgh Promotion agreed to a relaxation in the rules for this challenge match.
The meeting was run using the old 13-heat format. The normal 'three rides' minimum was amended to two for this match.
Gate position A was in used with Edinburgh off 1 and 3 for the first heat.
Heat 1: Robert Eriksson, Henning Bager, Christian Henry, Les Collins [57.9]
Robert Eriksson gated and was joined by Christian Henry after a strong first two bends. Christian was under pressure from Les Collins on his outside and Henning Bager on his inside. Eventually Bager got inside Christian and moved him over to allow Collins through. Christian was not finished and swept around the outside of Les Collins on the third bend of the final lap to take a point.
(4-2) (4-2)
Heat 2: Ben Shields, Rory Schlein, Simon Cartwright [58.2]
Ben Shields was not the first away but he put in a great sweep from gate four to lead by the exit from the second bend and was never threatened. Rory Schlein was at the back after missing the start but put in some inside line turns to put Cartwright under pressure. Eventually Cartwright made an error on the second bend and Schlein was past him before he recovered. Schlein then closed in on Sneddon who also slipped on the second bend and fell. This gave Rory a paid win in his first Armadale heat for Monarchs.
(5-1) (9-3)
Heat 3: David Walsh, Emiliano Sanchez, Blair Scott, Aidan Collins [58.5]
Blair Scott gated but he was at the back by the exit from the second bend as David Walsh and the Glasgow pair swept past. Blair dug in and repassed Aidan Collins to give Monarchs a third heat advantage.
(4-2) (13-5)
Heat 4: Jan Andersen, Simon Cartwright, Rory Schlein, James Grieves [59.1]
Simon Cartwright came in as a reserve change for Sneddon. Jan Andersen gated ahead of the Glasgow pair with Schlein at the back. Cartwright made a good start but was looking rather slow and Grieves tried to shepherd him home. Rory Schlein continued to press. Cartwright appeared to slow down distracting Grieves. This enabled Schlein to undertake an audacious inside pass on Grieves on the third bend of the last lap and take a well-deserved point.
(4-2) (17-7)
Heat 5: David Walsh, Blair Scott, Les Collins, Henning Bager [57.3]
David Walsh and Blair Scott made it from the gate and held on for a maximum with Walsh setting the fastest time of the season.
(5-1) (22-8)
Heat 6: James Grieves, Robert Eriksson, Derek Sneddon, Christian Henry [59.3]
Derek Sneddon replaced Simon Cartwright as a reserve change. Eriksson and Henry made fair starts but Grieves used the inside line to good effect to take the lead by the end of the back straight. Grieves wasn't travelling that fast and the field became bunched behind him. Christian Henry made an error allowing Sneddon past.
(2-4) (24-12)
Heat 7: Emiliano Sanchez, Rory Schlein, Jan Andersen, Aidan Collins [58.4]
Sanchez made a good start ahead of Andersen and Collins. Aidan Collins somehow got past Andersen but was in turn passed by Schlein and repassed by Andersen.
(3-3) (27-15)
Heat 8: Christian Henry, Henning Bager, James Grieves, Rory Schlein [58.9]
James Grieves replaced Sneddon as a tactical substitute. Ben Shields ran into the tapes and was replaced by Rory Schlein. Grieves and Bager seemed to have secured a big 5-1 for Glasgow as they led right from the tapes. Christian Henry gave chase and eventually produced a brilliant pass off the last bend that took him past both Grieves and Bager to win.
(3-3) (30-18)
Heat 9: David Walsh, James Grieves, Blair Scott, Derek Sneddon [59.5]
Derek Sneddon came in for Cartwright as a tactical substitute. Walsh picked up a third heat win from Grieves with Scott third.
(4-2) (34-20)
Heat 10: Robert Eriksson, Les Collins, Emiliano Sanchez, Ben Shields [58.5]
Les Collins replaced Aidan Collins as a tactical substitute. Christian Henry touched the tapes and was excluded. Ben Shields came in as a replacement. Eriksson made the start and won from the Glasgow pair.
(3-3) (37-23)
Heat 11: Les Collins, Jan Andersen, Ben Shields, Henning Bager [58.2]
Les Collins made a start and led Andersen. Bager pressed Andersen hard for a couple of laps. Bager had a go on the second bend but Andersen forced him wide allowing Shields through for a third place.
(3-3) (40-26)
Heat 12: Emiliano Sanchez, Robert Eriksson, James Grieves, Blair Scott [57.9]
Sanchez outgated Eriksson to win with Grieves third.
(2-4) (42-30)
Heat 13: Jan Andersen, David Walsh, Emiliano Sanchez, Les Collins [59.4]
Sanchez replaced Aidan Collins as a tactical substitute. This did noting to prevent Andersen and Walsh finishing the meeting with a maximum. Ls Collins was up there with Walsh until the Monarchs' guest leaned on him going through the second bend causing Les to slow down and drop to last.
(5-1) (47-31)
|
Edinburgh Monarchs |
|
|
|
||||
|
Robert Eriksson |
3 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
|
10 |
|
|
Christian Henry |
1 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
|
|
4 |
|
Jan Andersen |
3 |
1* |
2 |
3 |
|
9+1 |
|
|
Blair Scott |
1 |
2* |
1 |
0 |
|
|
4+1 |
|
David Walsh |
3 |
3 |
3 |
2* |
|
|
11+1 |
|
Rory Schlein |
2* |
1 |
2 |
0 |
|
5+1 |
|
|
Ben Shields |
3 |
T |
0 |
1 |
|
|
4+1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Glasgow Tigers |
|
|
|
||||
|
Les Collins |
0 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
0 |
|
6 |
|
Henning Bager |
2 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
|
|
4 |
|
James Grieves |
0 |
3 |
1* |
2 |
1 |
7+1 |
|
|
Aidan Collins |
0 |
0 |
|
|
0 |
||
|
Emiliano Sanchez |
2 |
3 |
1* |
3 |
1 |
10+1 |
|
|
Simon Cartwright |
1 |
2 |
|
|
|
3 |
|
|
Derek Sneddon |
F |
1 |
F |
|
|
|
1 |
For once Peter Carr was not missed as guest replacement David Walsh produced an immaculate paid maximum. Robert Eriksson was beaten a couple of times as was Jan Andersen but both were paid 10 from four rides.
Blair Scott had something of a mixed meeting with a good ride in heat 5 to keep Les Collins behind him. He demonstrated his vulnerability after gating in heat 3 but being swallowed up by the field on the second bend. He was only beaten by Grieves and Sanchez but he probably was capable of better.
Monarchs' Australians all had their moments. Ben Shields set a blistering pace to win heat 2. He suffered a tape exclusion in his second ride but was always on the pace and was only beaten by Les Collins and Emiliano Sanchez on the track. Christian Henry was passed by Bager and Collins in heat 1 but came back to repass Les. He produced a stunning double overtake on the last bend of heat 8 but had earlier made a mistake in heat 6 and was passed by Derek Sneddon. He finished with a tape exclusion. Rory Schlein really made the headlines with a pass of James Grieves in heat 4. He produced a great display of inside line riding that forced errors from both Cartwright and Sneddon in heat 2. Five points is not a bad haul especially as all were won from the back.
Emiliano Sanchez was the only Glasgow rider to come near his best form. Les Collins looked jaded apart from a late heat win. James Grieves proved vulnerable from the back. He was passed by Schlein and Henry when trying to team-ride his partner home.
Henning Bager made an encouraging debut for Glasgow and was always competitive without getting as many points as he seemed capable of. The Glasgow bottom three failed to shine. Derek Sneddon did little to show that Monarchs made the wrong decision to replace him with Ben Shields.
Man of the match: David Walsh
Most exciting rider: Christian Henry/Rory Schlein
John Lowe