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23 Mar 2008: Glasgow (41) Edinburgh (49) |
| Sunday 23rd March 2008 Spring Trophy Second Leg 'Buildbase' Glasgow Tigers - (41)
Edinburgh 'Scotwaste' Monarchs - (49)
Edinburgh win the Spring Trophy 100 - 79 A pleasant Sunday saw the unbeaten Edinburgh Monarchs roll into town, aiming to not only protect their healthy 13 point lead from the first leg, but inflict an early defeat on the Buildbase Tigers. Ross Brady's attempted comeback was delayed after adverse reaction to the team's mid-week practice so the Tigers went with Rider Replacement again. The rest of the team got some much needed Ashfield practice in and were raring to go against their arch-rivals, who had Ryan Fisher, Thomas Jonasson and Aaron Summers sampling the track for the first time. Gate pattern B in operation. Heat 1 Mitchell Davey took the first Rider Replacement ride. Mitchell made a terrific start to cut under Derek Sneddon on turn 2 for the lead, but Shane Parker was stuck at the back. The young Aussie's lead was short-lived though as Fisher came through on the inside out of turn 4 for the lead. Mitchell didn't protect his position on the inside and Sneddon slipped through on turn 2 of the next lap. Shane switched positions next time around to give chase but it was too late and the Monarchs had got the start that they wanted. Fisher, Sneddon, Parker, Davey (1-5) (1-5) - 60.2 Heat 2 Summers started best but Josh Grajczonek tried a 'Parkeresque' move round the outside to sweep past his fellow Australian for an emphatic win. This was countered by Andrew Tully diving inside Lee Dicken on turn 3 to split the points. Grajczonek, Summers, Tully, Dicken (3-3) (4-8) - 61.0 Heat 3 A fairly even start saw Mitchell again emerge from turn 2 in front but Jonasson muscled his way through on turn 4. William Lawson managed to pass Trent on the same turn but Trent repassed one turn later and set about team riding his young partner home. It looked to be safe until the Scot tried on outside run on the last bend to try and split them and it only just failed to come off. Jonasson, Davey, Leverington, Lawson (3-3) (7-11) - 61.3 Heat 4 The Monarchs' pair made a good start but Robert Ksiezak swooped round Tully although made no impression on Matthew Wethers. Tully kept up the chase, however, and his tenacity paid off when he shot through a gap on the inside on turn 1 lap 3 and join his partner at the front as the Monarchs doubled their lead in the match. Wethers, Tully, Ksiezak, Dicken (1-5) (8-16) - 60.9 Heat 5 Mitchell and Trent shot to the front but Fisher moved under Mitchell on turn 2 as Sneddon at the back bit the dust. The Monarchs' skip looked up and appeared to make no attempt to clear the track and the referee had no option but to stop the race. The referee excluded the Scot and gave him a Public warning about his conduct in a move for which the Monarchs' PR machine has been quick to criticise others in the past. The inevitable happened in the rerun and Fisher duly made a better start to take the win. Fisher, Leverington, Davey, Sneddon(F.Exc) (3-3) (11-19) - 60.9 Heat 6 Robert came in to take the second Rider Replacement ride. Wethers made the start but Robert took the high line on turn 2 and hit paydirt. Shane cut inside on turn 4 but Wethers had the speed to keep ahead and had to keep his wits about him as Shane tried everything and put it all into a last lap swoop which, this time, didn't pay off. Ksiezak, Wethers, Parker, Summers (4-2) (15-21) - 61.1 Heat 7 Robert showed he is a fast starter hitting the fresh air at the front and Josh roared round Jonasson on turn 2. The Swede lost interest after the Monarchs' pair appeared to collide, and this let Lawson chase Tigers' young rookie and he was all over him. Josh showed he was learning the different lines needed and held on to the points. The 'top scoring Scrabble pair' had succeeded in hauling Tigers back into the match. Ksiezak, Grajczonek, Lawson, Jonasson(Ret) (5-1) (20-22) - 61.6 Heat 8 Trent came in for the third Rider Replacement ride and Team manager Stewart Dickson tried to keep the momentum going by replacing out of touch Lee with young Josh. Trent made a commanding start and Josh rounded the quick Tully to join him. The Scot kept on trying to the end and got no support from Sneddon languishing at the back. Tigers had somehow taken the lead on the day which had seemed unlikely a few heats before. Leverington, Grajczonek, Tully, Sneddon (5-1) (25-23) - 60.7 Heat 9 Wethers showed first with Mitchell on his inside, then Trent tried a brave run off the outside of turn 2, through the narrowest of gaps, to take him past the former Tiger and into the lead. Mitchell had trouble turning on turn 3 and this let Summers through for third. Leverington, Wethers, Summers, Davey (3-3) (28-26) - 61.2 Heat 10 Josh came in for the final Rider Replacement ride. Lawson finally made a good start, holding Josh back on the inside line. Shane tried his usual wide line but this didn't pay off and the Scot kept the lead. Josh showed his fighting spirit as he powered down the back straight to take Jonasson and protect our slender lead. Lawson, Parker, Grajczonek, Jonasson (3-3) (31-29) - 60.9 Heat 11 Lee swapped places with Josh to leave the Aussie in the potentially more lucrative next heat. Unfortunately, this was the heat Robert chose to make his worst gate and it was left to Lee to give chase. On a day that had been far from productive for the big Yorkshireman, his luck ran out on turn 4 and he slid off. Unlike the earlier incident, he remounted his bike but this let the Monarchs retake the lead. Sneddon, Fisher, Ksiezak, Dicken (1-5) (32-34) - 63.1 Heat 12 Josh duly replaced Lee and Monarchs' management brought the lively Tully in for Summers. Trent headed off sharp and Josh burst round Tully and was on his way past Jonasson on the back straight until the Swede ruthlessly shut the door on him, letting Tully recapture third. And with that, the Spring Trophy was bouncing back to Armadale for the first time in three years! Leverington, Jonasson, Tully, Grajczonek (3-3) (35-37) - 62.2 Heat 13 Shane made a good start but first Fisher, then Robert flew past on turn 2. Wethers slipped past and Shane tried everything to regain his point but to no avail. Fisher, Ksiezak, Wethers, Parker (2-4) (37-41) - 61.9 Heat 14 Last week's heroes had it all to do again but this time Lawson gated well and Tully came under Josh and looked to have secured the victory until the Scot's chain came off on lap 3 and the points were shared. Lawson, Grajczonek, Davey, Tully(EF) (3-3) (40-44) - 61.4 Heat 15 The start was delayed as the Monarchs tried to persuade the referee to allow Lawson to take a place in heat 15 but he was ineligible and they elected to put Wethers out to partner the unbeaten Fisher. Surprisingly, Tigers elected to give Shane the nod, in spite of his 'off-colour' performance, but I guess if you were looking for some inspiration, that's who's got the past (track) record. It was all over quite quickly as the Monarchs got the drop and Fisher completed his maximum. Fisher, Wethers, Leverington, Parker (1-5) (41-49) - 61.3 Another dramatic match, but this time the outcome wasn't right. A good, solid performance from the Monarchs saw them take the Trophy and the match and they had the best man on show in the form of American Ryan Fisher, who looked impressive on his Ashfield debut. Trent and Robert led the way with some determined racing and Josh and Mitchell showed what a bit of practice can do, as well as some tough lessons in handling themselves. Shane was definitely out of sorts, as his body language showed and Lee clearly was suffering after his engine seizures of last week. Report by : John Sloss |
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