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Edinburgh Monarchs v Newport Wasps
KO Cup (1st Round), 19 May 2006
Armadale Stadium, Edinburgh

Edinburgh 56
1Henrik Moller22*2*2*. ..83
2Theo Pijper1*3332 ..121
3Matthew Wethers12*1*2. ..62
4William Lawson3322*. ..101
5Rusty Harrison33330 ..120
6Sean Stoddart100.. ..10
7Derek Sneddon3001*3 ..71
Newport 40
2Chris Schramm0122F ..50
3Carl Wilkinson2Fx216^ 1.120
4Tony Atkin01*01*X ..22
5(g)Andre Compton31*16^1 3.151
6Joel Parsons221*01 ..61
7Sam Hurst000.. ..00

* = BP. ^ = TR . ! = TS (15m Handicap). # = TR (Points Not Doubled). & = TS (Points Not Doubled, 15m Handicap).

Edinburgh were again at full strength for this match while Newport had Andre Compton as a guest for Craig Watson and used Rider Replacement for Neil Collins. Sam Hurst was again at reserve.

An aggressive and very physical display by Newport, who managed their resources with great diligence, restricted Edinburgh to a 16 point lead for Sunday’s return clash in Wales. In view of their 31 point league win a few weeks ago against the Monarchs, the Wasps may feel that they can overcome Edinburgh’s lead but they will know that it was only two successful TRs which prevented a much heavier defeat.

In the opener, Compton and Moller led from the tapes but Compton pushed the young Dane out on the second bend to gain the advantage down the back straight. At the back a down-on-power Theo Pijper passed Chris Schramm to share the points then there was another big shove in the second heat. Joel Parsons sent Derek Sneddon out wide but it wasn’t good enough to give him a winning lead as Sneddon reeled him in and passed him on the third lap. Sean Stoddart was third for a 4-2 heat advantage. In heat 3 it was Carl Wilkinson’s turn to do the shoving, this time on William Lawson, who was sent sprawling fencewards on the second bend. However the referee invited all four back, a decision met with some derision by the home support. In the rerun Wilkinson tried a repeat performance but this time Lawson was too quick for him and was soon well in front for the win as Wilkinson was left attending to the attention of Matthew Wethers. The heat finished as a 4-2 and Edinburgh were four points ahead. Heat 4 followed a similar pattern as the others. Harrison and Sneddon gated well but Parsons got under Sneddon on the third bend to send him outwards towards the fence allowing Compton into third place for a shared race. The score after four races was 14-10.

Lawson and Wethers were soon away for an easy 5-1 in heat 5 before Carl Wilkinson fell on the fourth bend on the second lap. The referee awarded the race to the Edinburgh riders so the home side’s lead was doubled to eight points. Pijper and Moller made good starts in heat 6 and had little trouble registering another 5-1 leaving Andre Compton in their wake to stretch the lead to 12 points. Heat 7 provided an excellent race, not between Harrison and Wilkinson who settled into first and second respectively, but between Tony Atkin and Sean Stoddart for third place. Stoddart passed Atkin coming off the inside of the second bend on each lap but Atkin on the wide line found the drive of the fourth bend each time to regain the lead but it was a blanket finish with Atkin just taking the point to share the heat. Theo Pijper and Derek Sneddon made good starts to heat 8 but Sneddon was passed by both Schramm and Parsons coming off the second bend. Schramm then shocked Pijper by passing him on the outside of the third bend then Joel Parsons rode into the side of the Edinburgh captain causing him to straighten up and slip to the back. Pijper recovered however to repass both Parsons and Schramm but Sneddon fell on the fourth bend as the race was shared taking the score to 30-18.

In heat 9 Andre Compton took a TR and made a better start than William Lawson holding off Lawson’s challenge all race for the win. Wethers took third with Sam Hurst well of the pace but Newport scored a 3-6 to reduce Edinburgh’s lead to nine points. In heat 10 Theo Pijper and Henrik Moller were off again for another 5-1 with no challenge from Wilkinson in third place to increase the Monarchs’ lead to 13 points. Rusty Harrison won heat 11 from the hard chasing Schramm while Tony Atkin this time took third place without a challenge from Stoddart so the race was shared and Newport gave Carl Wilkinson a TR in heat 12. The Newport man made a good start and won comfortably from Wethers and Sneddon so it was another 3-6 to the visitors reducing the deficit to 10 points. The score was now 44-34.

Rusty Harrison got a flying start in heat 13 and Henrik Moller was quickly in behind him for a comfortable 5-1. Chris Schramm fell on the third lap promoting Compton to third as the race was awarded. Heat 14 was awarded too but not until the crowd had been entertained to an excellent battle. Derek Sneddon made the gate but Joel Parsons and Tony Atkin passed him off the second bend to head for a 1-5. Sneddon challenged both Wasps round the outside and eventually saw both of them off as Parsons tried to shut the door on him. William Lawson at the back watched the battle up front resolve itself before cleverly sweeping under both the Wasps riders to join his partner turning a 1-5 into a 5-1. On the third lap Tony Atkin rode into Joel Parsons knocking his partner off so the referee awarded the race. Edinburgh went into the last race looking for their third consecutive 5-1 with the unbeaten Rusty Harrison and Theo Pijper lining up against Andre Compton and Carl Wilkinson. Compton made the best start to hit the front with the Monarchs in the minor places but an extravagant outside drive by Harrison round the third and fourth bends saw him fall so Newport took a 2-4 as Wilkinson picked up the third place point – a point which the Monarchs may yet well rue!

Match Report by Merlin