Swindon Robins 55: Edinburgh Monarchs 35
Premier League
Blunsden, Swindon
Thursday 24th May 2001
Swindon is becoming a daunting track for visiting teams this year. Monarchs were the latest team to experience this first hand but at least did a little better than the last two visiting teams, Trelawny Tigers who scored 22 points and Glasgow Tigers who managed only 20 points! It was largely down to Peter Carr and Jan Andersen than Monarchs achieved a comparatively respectable scoreline.
Swindon started with six successive heat advantages before Peter Carr with assistance from Dalle Andersson and Blair Scott stopped the rot with two heat advantages. Things were better in the second half of the meeting. Monarchs only did anything when Carr was on track apart from heat 13 when Monarchs were gifted a tie through a Claus Kristensen engine failure.
Edinburgh were at full strength with Jan Andersen making a quick return after spending Saturday night in hospital. Swindon used former captain Neil Collins to replace the injured Oliver Allen.
Gate position B was in used with Edinburgh off 1 and 3 for the first heat.
Heat 1: Martin Dixon, Claus Kristensen, Robert Eriksson, Blair Scott [67.0]
A bad start for Monarchs with Robert Eriksson not making the start and Swindon opening with a maximum.
(5-1) (5-1)
Heat 2: Mark Steel, Christian Henry, Ritchie Hawkins, Derek Sneddon [67.1]
Another home advantage with Christian Henry splitting the Swindon pairing. Derek Sneddon fell and restarted.
(4-2) (9-3)
Heat 3: Neil Collins, Peter Carr, Alan Mogridge, Dalle Andersson [66.6]
Swindon guest Neil Collins inflicted a rare Blunsden defeat on Peter Carr.
(4-2) (13-5)
Heat 4: Paul Fry, Jan Andersen, Ritchie Hawkins, Derek Sneddon [67.1]
Paul Fry beat Jan Andersen as Swindon stretch their lead to 10 points.
(4-2) (17-7)
Heat 5: Neil Collins, Alan Mogridge, Robert Eriksson, Blair Scott [67.8]
Eriksson and Scott were on the wrong end of a 5-1 for the second time.
(5-1) (22-8)
Heat 6: Claus Kristensen, Martin Dixon, Jan Andersen, Christian Henry [67.4]
More woe for Monarchs with yet another 5-1 from the unbeaten Kristensen and Dixon as the lead is now a massive 18 points. Christian Henry fell and restarted.
(5-1) (27-9)
Heat 7: Peter Carr, Dalle Andersson, Mark Steel [67.6]
The rot is finally stopped as Paul Fry stops with engine problems and Carr and Andersson take a maximum.
(1-5) (28-14)
Heat 8: Peter Carr, Martin Dixon, Blair Scott, Ritchie Hawkins [66.6]
Peter Carr came in as a tactical substitute for Derek Sneddon and beat Martin Dixon. Blair Scott came in ahead of Hawkins s Monarchs take a second successive heat advantage.
(2-4) (30-18)
Heat 9: Alan Mogridge, Jan Andersen, Neil Collins, Christian Henry [67.4]
Alan Mogridge took the heat ahead of Jan Andersen with Collins third as the lead is back up to 14 points.
(4-2) (34-20)
Heat 10: Peter Carr, Martin Dixon, Claus Kristensen, Dalle Andersson [67.3]
This heat was rerun after an 'unsatisfactory star' was ruled by the referee. Peter Carr ended the unbeaten run of Dixon and Kristensen with a third successive race win.
(3-3) (37-23)
Heat 11: Paul Fry, Mark Steel, Robert Eriksson, Blair Scott [67.9]
Paul Fry and Mark Steel pick up another 5-1 against the unproductive Eriksson/Scott pairing.
(5-1) (42-24)
Heat 12: Peter Carr, Neil Collins, Jan Andersen, Ritchie Hawkins [67.5]
Jan Andersen replaced Christian Henry as a tactical substitute. This helped Monarchs trim the margin as Carr had his fourth win.
(2-4) (44-28)
Heat 13: Paul Fry, Jan Andersen, Robert Eriksson [68.4]
Claus Kristensen stopped with engine problems gifting Monarchs a 3-3 with Andersen and Eriksson following Paul Fry home.
(3-3) (47-31)
Heat 14: Mark Steel, Alan Mogridge, Dalle Andersson, Derek Sneddon [69.0]
Steel and Mogridge produced the fifth Swindon maximum of the match.
(5-1) (52-32)
Heat 15: Peter Carr, Paul Fry, Martin Dixon, Jan Andersen [68.3]
Edinburgh took gates 2 and 4. Carr beat Fry and Dixon but Andersen trailed as the margin stayed at 20 points.
(3-3) (55-35)
|
Swindon Robins |
|
|
|
||||
|
Claus Kristensen |
2* |
3 |
1* |
E |
|
|
6+2 |
|
Martin Dixon |
3 |
2* |
2 |
2 |
1* |
|
10+2 |
|
Neil Collins |
3 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
|
|
9 |
|
Alan Mogridge |
1 |
2* |
3 |
2* |
|
|
7+2 |
|
Paul Fry |
3 |
E |
3 |
3 |
2 |
11 |
|
|
Mark Steel |
3 |
1 |
2* |
3 |
|
|
9+1 |
|
Ritchie Hawkins |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Edinburgh Monarchs |
|
|
|
||||
|
Robert Eriksson |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1* |
|
|
4+1 |
|
Blair Scott |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
|
1 |
|
Peter Carr |
2 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
17 |
|
Dalle Andersson |
0 |
2* |
0 |
1 |
|
|
3+1 |
|
Jan Andersen |
2 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
8 |
|
Christian Henry |
2 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
|
2 |
|
Derek Sneddon |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
|
0 |
Peter Carr rescued Monarchs from a real hammering with another brilliant 17-point away display at a track he always rides well. Monarchs other Blunsden specialist Jan Andersen was the only one to provide any support. Apart from Carr, Andersen was the only Edinburgh rider to beat one of the home top five on the track. Robert Eriksson had a miserable meeting and was unable to get his bike setup sorted out. His points were all courtesy of Blair Scott part from a Claus Kristensen engine failure in heat 13.
Dalle Andersson only beat Mark Steel but was aided by a Paul Fry engine failure. Blair Scott and Christian Henry both gained their points at the expense of Ritchie Hawkins.
The whole Swindon team scored consistently apart from Hawkins who gained his two points at the expense of Sneddon. Non of them were able to cope with Carr after he had taken one ride to get his bike setup right for the track.
Man of the match: Peter Carr
John Lowe with thanks to Mike Hunter