Stoke Potters 52: Edinburgh Monarchs 38
Premier League
Loomer Road Stadium, Newcastle-under-Lyme
Saturday 30th June 2001
Edinburgh went down to defeat at Stoke. The depleted team had insufficient scoring power to do much about the solid looking Potters team. Monarchs did enough to collect the aggregate match point by 97 points to 83.
A 5-1 in the reserves race put Stoke four points ahead. This lead was retained with four of the first five heats being tied. Stoke took a firm grip with successive 5-1 advantages in heats 6 and 7. A heat 8 tactical substitution of Robert Eriksson failed to dent this lead. Guest Ray Morton came in for heat 9 and backed Jan Andersen to secure a 5-1 for Monarchs' first heat advantage.
Stoke nullified this with a 5-1 in heat 10. Despite Monarchs taking a couple of 4-2 advantages in heats 11 and 12, Monarchs were unable to get on terms. Edinburgh gambled with bringing Jan Andersen as a heat 14 'golden double but this failed as he ran in last.
Monarchs had Ray Morton in as a guest for Peter Carr and Rory Schlein deputized for Dalle Andersson. Stoke had Phil Morris in for Jan Stæchmann.
Monarchs particularly felt the loss of Dalle Andersson, perhaps more so than Carr's absence. Had the pair of them both been riding it could have made a difference to the result. Stoke can have no complaints about Morris who dropped only one point in four rides.
Heat 1: Paul Pickering, Robert Eriksson, Christian Henry, Mark Burrows [64.3]
The home riders made the gate. Mark Burrows went too wide on lap one allowing first Eriksson to pass and then repeated it on lap two with Henry coming through.
(3-3) (3-3)
Heat 2: Jon Armstrong, Dean Felton, Ben Shields, Rory Schlein [66.9]
The home reserve pairing gated and so it finished.
(5-1) (8-4)
Heat 3: Ray Morton, Tony Atkin, Grant MacDonald, Blair Scott [65.0]
Ray Morton made the start and won but Blair Scott was way adrift at the back.
(3-3) (11-7)
Heat 4: Phil Morris, Jan Andersen, Ben Shields, Jon Armstrong [64.6]
Jan Andersen gated but Morris passed on the inside of the first lap to win. Ben Shields took a good point ahead of Armstrong.
(3-3) (14-10)
Heat 5: Robert Eriksson, Tony Atkin, Grant MacDonald [64.8]
Robert Eriksson made the start ahead of MacDonald with Christian Henry third. Christian fell on the third bend and Atkin slid into the fence trying to avoid him. Eriksson gated once more to win the re-run with Henry excluded.
(3-3) (17-13)
Heat 6: Paul Pickering, Mark Burrows, Jan Andersen, Rory Schlein [65.2]
Pickering and Burrows made the start and put the Potters eight points up with a maximum.
(5-1) (22-14)
Heat 7: Phil Morris, Jon Armstrong, Blair Scott [64.9]
Dean Felton was excluded for touching the tapes and as replaced by Jon Armstrong. The heat was notably for a three-way battle between Morris, Armstrong, and Morton. This ended when Morton slid off on the second bend after he tried to pass the team-riding home pair.
(5-1) (27-15)
Heat 8: Mark Burrows, Robert Eriksson, Christian Henry, Dean Felton [65.2]
Dean Felton came in for Armstrong as a reserve change. Robert Eriksson replaced Ben Shields as a tactical substitute. Mark Burrows outgated Eriksson to in with Henry taking third place.
(3-3) (30-18)
Heat 9: Jan Andersen, Ray Morton, Grant MacDonald [65.1]
Ray Morton replaced Rory Schlein as a tactical substitute. Jan Andersen and Ray Morton made the start and took a first heat advantage for Monarchs.
(1-5) (31-23)
Heat 10: Paul Pickering, Mark Burrows, Ray Morton, Blair Scott [64.1]
Stoke hit back immediately to restore their lead after Pickering and Burrows took another 5-1 against Morton and Scott.
(5-1) (36-24)
Heat 11: Robert Eriksson, Phil Morris, Christian Henry, Dean Felton [64.5]
Robert Eriksson made a start and held off a strong inside line challenge from Phil Morris. Henry took third ahead of Felton to trim the lead.
(2-4) (38-28)
Heat 12: Ray Morton, Tony Atkin, Rory Schlein, Dean Felton [64.5]
Jon Armstrong excluded under 2 minutes and Dean Felton replaced him. Ray Morton won from the gate while Felton fell and remounted gifting Schlein a point.
(2-4) (40-32)
Heat 13: Phil Morris, Jan Andersen, Paul Pickering [65.0]
This looked like another Monarchs' 4-2 with Andersen heading Morris and Eriksson third. However Morris forced his way past Andersen and Eriksson ground to a halt as Pickering swept past.
(4-2) (44-34)
Heat 14: Grant MacDonald, Ben Shields, Jon Armstrong, Jan Andersen [65.2]
Jan Andersen was brought in as a 'golden double' tactical substitute to replace Blair Scott. Jon Armstrong replaced Felton as a reserve change Grant MacDonald made a start ahead of Ben Shields. Jan made up the ground and passed Armstrong but could make no impression on the leaders and was repassed by Armstrong.
(4-2) (48-36)
Heat 15: Paul Pickering, Ben Shields, Mark Burrows, Robert Eriksson [64.1]
Jan Andersen was due to ride alongside Eriksson but was excluded under the two-minute rule. Ben Shields came in as a replacement and gated. Paul Pickering passed Shields on the first lap to win.
(4-2) (52-38)
|
Reading Racers |
|
|
|
||||
|
Paul Pickering |
3 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
3 |
|
13 |
|
Mark Burrows |
0 |
2* |
3 |
2* |
1 |
|
8+2 |
|
Tony Atkin |
2 |
2 |
R |
2 |
|
|
6 |
|
Grant MacDonald |
1* |
1* |
1 |
3 |
|
|
6+2 |
|
Phil Morris |
3 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
|
11 |
|
Dean Felton |
2* |
T |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
2+1 |
|
Jon Armstrong |
3 |
0 |
2* |
M |
1 |
|
6+1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Edinburgh Monarchs |
|
|
|
||||
|
Robert Eriksson |
2 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
R |
0 |
10 |
|
Christian Henry |
1* |
X |
1* |
1 |
|
|
3+2 |
|
Ray Morton |
3 |
F |
2* |
1 |
3 |
|
9+1 |
|
Blair Scott |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
|
1 |
|
|
Jan Andersen |
2 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
M |
8 |
|
Rory Schlein |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
Ben Shields |
1 |
1* |
2 |
2 |
|
|
6+1 |
Robert Eriksson started well with 10 points from his first four rides but failed to score in his last two rides. Jan Andersen had a typical away meeting with 8 points in his programmed rides. He failed in his 'golden double' ride and was two-minuted in heat 15. Ray Morton produced a respectable score but was almost certainly down on what Peter Carr would have expected.
Christian Henry had a decent meeting and was worth more than his paid-five score. Blair Scott appeared to suffer more bike problems and as off the pace although he was gifted a point when Ray Morton fell. Rory Schlein also struggled and picked up a single point after Felton fell. Ben Shields impressed once more. He was pulled from heat 8 to accommodate Eriksson but took a good second place in heat 14 and even more impressively also came second in heat 15.
Pickering was top scorer for Stoke and was backed up well by Morris. While Atkin was not at his best, there was solid scoring from the second strings and Jon Armstrong.
Man of the match: Paul Pickering
John Lowe