Opportunity missed as Monarchs defeat Bears
The Redcar “Agilia” Bears missed out on the opportunity to record back to back Championship away wins as they fell to a 48-41 defeat at Armadale to a resolute Edinburgh side. Erik Riss top scored for Redcar with 13 whilst Sam Masters hit 13 for the hosts
The opening heat saw Masters take a comfortable win whilst Redcar’s guest Jake Allen held off a strong challenge from James Sarjeant to limit the damage. The Monarchs were reduced to 5 riders after two bends of heat 2 as the home reserve pairing of Jacob Hook and Sarjeant crashed which forced the withdrawal of the ex-Bear with a suspected concussion. We send our best wishes to Sarjeant for a speedy recovery.
With Hook excluded this left the reserve pairing of Jason Edwards and Redcar guest Ben Morley to complete the formalities for a 5-0 to send Redcar into an early 3 point lead. Riss started the night with a customary lightning gate to take the win but with Edinburgh holding the minor placings, the lead remained at three.
The Bears gated on a 5-1 in heat 4 but the exciting Josh Pickering made short work of Morley and set after Lewis Kerr but the testimonial man used his experience to take the win and an away 4-2. The Monarchs engine room of Kye Thomsen and Paco Castagna combined for a 5-1 with the Italian passing Allen on the outside to reduce Redcar’s lead to a single point.
A shared heat 6 kept Redcar in the most slender of leads but Redcar extended their lead to 3 in heat 7. Redcar’s German star Erik Riss gated and just about held off Pickering who rode the boards but the German used his Armadale experience to hold off the Australian and with Andersen getting the better of Hook it was another away 4-2.
The Monarchs turned the meeting on it’s head with back to back 5-1’s. Heat 8 saw Jacob Hook come to the party to partner Kye Thomsen whilst Thomsen bested Kerr in heat 9 to join Castagna for another home maximum to send Edinburgh into a 5 point lead.
Redcar reduced the gap to three as Riss continued his perfect start with another win despite strong pressure from Masters and with Andersen in third Redcar were back in with a chance. Redcar’s German star was proving to be a thorn in the Monarch’s side as he brought Redcar within one as he made it 4 from 4 in heat 12 and with Edwards firing from gate 1 to secure third the Monarchs knew they had to produce.
And produce they did with a big 5-1 as their star men Masters and Pickering led from the gate to extend Edinburgh’s lead to 5. The Bears needed a heat advantage in the penultimate heat to remain in with a chance but instead Edinburgh secured successive 5-1’s to tie up the 3 league points.
Lewis Kerr and Erik Riss were tasked with securing a 5-1 for a consolation league point for the Bears. Kerr won comfortably but for the first time in the match Riss failed to make the gate and had to settle for third which gave Edinburgh a 49-41 home success.
Redcar’s Erik Riss was pleased with his personal performance, “I had a good night, Edinburgh is a hard place to come too but having rode here for 4 seasons I know what to do here in most conditions and it was slick this evening.”
The Redcar number 3 also commented on his teammates performances, “Some of the boys struggled this evening but Edinburgh isn’t the easiest place to come. Our guys struggled for power but Edinburgh eventually got dialled in and they came on strong.”
Riss also commented on how a rider who is performing well can help struggling riders, “Speedway these days is 85% bike set-ups. All you can do when you are performing well is tell the boys how you are setting the bike up to try and help them out.”
The Ipswich man also bemoaned the absence of Charles Wright who has a wrist injury, “Wherever you go with Charles you can expect a good score, I think if we had Charles it would have been a different story. Unfortunately, Jake Allen struggled tonight but that happens from time to time.”
Edinburgh Monarchs = 48
Sam Masters = 13
Lasse Fredriksen R/R = 4
3. Kye Thomsen = 11+2
4. Paco Castagna = 10+1
5. Josh Pickering = 9+1
6. Jacob Hook = 4+2
7. James Sarjeant = 1
8. Gregor Millar = 0
Redcar Bears = 41
1. Jake Allen (G) = 5
2. Adam Roynon = 1
3. Erik Riss = 13
4. Kasper Andersen = 2
5. Lewis Kerr = 10
6. Jason Edwards = 4
7. Ben Morley (G) = 6+3