What a difference a week makes!! Very few expected this score line as the Monarchs were completely swept away by a rampant home side.
The meeting didn’t start that way though with little in the opening heats. Dan Bewley surprisingly won heat 1, with Aaron Summers having to pass Josh Pickering after Sam Masters forceful first bend left him hung out to dry.
Monarchs levelled with their own 4-2 in the reserves race with Mark Riss doing well to hold off a faster looking Tom Perry.
Heat 3 took 3 attempts to run with the unfortunate Nike Lunna coming off worst in two crashes. The second one ruling him out of the meeting. Richard Lawson taking the heat for a 3-3.
Richie Worrall did likewise in heat 4 to leave the scores 12-12.
The turning point came in heat 5 when both Josh Pickering appeared to take out Masters on the third bend, although the referee thought differently. Tigers took an easy 5-1 in the re-run.
This was followed with another one in heat 6 after Bewley bravely went around Ricky Wells on the opening bends.
Tigers really turned the screw with yet another maximum in heat 7 with Worrall and Perry taking the score to 27-15.
Bewley maintained his unbeaten record as heat 8 was drawn, before Edinburgh threw in Wells for the TR in heat 9. He made the start but went too wide allowing Lawson up the inside and only a 5-3 to the visitors.
Tigers all but wrapped up the meeting with another 5-1 in heat 10 through Summers and Bewley to lead 38-24.
Heat 11 was shared before a bizarre heat 12 in which neither Jack Smith or Erik Riss got to the first bend both stopping. Mark Riss ending Lawson’s unbeaten run although he did come from behind to do it.
Heat 13 saw another good race for the second week running with Worrall’s superb pass of Wells resulting in another 5-1.
Heat 14 looked as if Mark Riss would end another maximum but Bewley reeled him in with some clever inside riding, passing him on the third lap for a deserved maximum.
There was still time for some Jim McGregor action in heat 15 with Ricky Wells falling foul of him after twice jumping the start and then being disqualified for leaving the track! A final 5-1 getting Worrall to his paid maximum.
Tigers just failed to return to the top of the league by two race points but this was arguably their best performance of the season so far, with Edinburgh comprehensively beaten. The Tigers were sharper out the starts and even when they missed the gate, their track craft was far superior. Dan Bewley fully deserved his man of the match and never looked like being beaten even after Mark Riss led him in heat 14. Richie Worrall likewise. The only blot being Nike Lunna’s hand injury.
The Monarchs relied heavily on Mark Riss who actually only beat Tigers top 4 once but was also their only race winner!! Sam Masters appeared to be affected by his crash, whilst none of the rest impressed too much.
Next up is the Redcar Bears in two weeks time with two tricky away matches in between.
Glasgow Tigers 57 Edinburgh Monarchs 34 SGBC 29/4/2017 Glasgow Tigers Aaron Summers 1 3 3 3 10 Dan Bewley 3 2* 3 2* 3 13 + 2 Richard Lawson 3 3 3 2 3 14 Nike Lunna Fx 0 Richie Worrall 3 3 3 2* 2* 13 + 2 Tom Perry 2 2* 2* 0 0 1 7 + 2 Jack Smith 0 0 0 R 0 Edinburgh Monarchs Sam Masters 2 Fx 1* R 1 4 + 1 Josh Pickering 0 1 1* 2 + 1 Erik Riss 2 1 1 R 4 Max Clegg XT 0 0 0 0 Ricky Wells 2 1 4^ 1 X 8 Mark Riss. 3 1* 2 1* 2 3 2 14+ 2 Mitchell Davey. 1 1* 0 2 + 1 Heat 1 - Dan Bewley ; Sam Masters ; Aaron Summers ; Josh Pickering ; 56.17; (4-2)(4-2) Heat 2 - Mark Riss ; Tom Perry ; Mitchell Davey ; Jack Smith ; 57.24 ; (2-4)(6-6) Heat 3 - (2 re runs) Richard Lawson ; Erik Riss ; Mark Riss ; Nike Lunna(Fx) ; 56.77; (3-3)(9-9) Heat 4 - Richie Worrall ; Ricky Wells ; Mitchell Davey ; Jack Smith ; 56.13 ; (3-3)(12-12) Heat 5 - (re run) Richard Lawson ; Tom Perry ; Josh Pickering ; Sam Masters(Fx) ; 58.34 ; (5-1)(17-13) Heat 6 - (re run) Aaron Summers ; Dan Bewley ; Ricky Wells ; Mitchell Davey ; 56.75 ; (5-1)(22-14) Heat 7 - (re run) Richie Worrall ; Tom Perry ; Erik Riss ; Max Clegg ; 57.56 ; (5-1)(27-15) Heat 8 - Dan Bewley ; Mark Riss ; Josh Pickering ; Jack Smith ; 57.58 ; (3-3)(30-18) Heat 9 - Richard Lawson ; Ricky Wells (TR) ; Mark Riss ; Tom Perry ; 57.46 ;(3-5)(33-23) Heat 10 - Aaron Summers ; Dan Bewley ; Erik Riss ; Max Clegg ; 57.66 ;(5-1)(38-24) Heat 11 - Richie Worrall ; Mark Riss; Sam Masters ; Tom Perry ; 57.01 ;(3-3)(41-27) Heat 12 - Mark Riss ; Richard Lawson ; Jack Smith (ef) ; Erik Riss (ef) ; 57.92; (2-3)(43-30) Heat 13 - Aaron Summers ; Richie Worrall ; Ricky Wells ; Sam Masters (R) ; 58.04 (5-1)(48-31) Heat 14 - Dan Bewley ; Mark Riss ; Tom Perry ; Max Clegg ; 59.0; (4-2)(52-33) Heat 15 - ( 3 re runs) Richard Lawson; Richie Worrall ; Sam Masters ; Ricky Wells(X left track)(15m delaying start) ; 57.93 ;(5-1)(57-34)