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Glasgow Tigers v Edinburgh Monarchs
Challenge, 13 March 2005
Ashfield Stadium, Glasgow

Glasgow 49
1George Stancl3F22*3 ..101
2Matthew Wethers2*32*1*. ..83
3Jamie Birkinshaw022*1. ..51
4Paul Bentley11*33. ..81
5Shane Parker3133Fx ..100
6(g)Gary Beaton100.. ..10
7Trent Leverington313F0 ..70
Edinburgh 43
1Daniel Nermark001*0. ..11
2Theo Pijper1302. ..60
3Rusty Harrison32*32*4! ..142
4Cameron Woodward2*301*2 ..82
5Ross Brady22R.. ..40
6William Lawson21*113 1*.92
7Robert Ksiezak001.. ..10

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

As usual in these derby matches there was plenty of interest and some controversy as Glasgow beat Edinburgh by six points to set the stage nicely for the return leg at Armadale next Friday. Glasgow had Gary Beaton deputising for James Cockle who is serving a four match suspension while for Edinburgh a far from fit Ross Brady eventually had to withdraw suffering from the flu.

When Matthew Wethers powered round Daniel Nermark and Theo Pijper to join George Stancl for an opening heat 5-1 to the Tigers the frowns began to appear on the Monarchs’ faces. Nermark, riding in his first competitive match since breaking both thighs last year, was tailed off at the back in alarming fashion. Leverington and Beaton then took a 4-2 split by William Lawson to stretch the lead to six points before Edinburgh tasted their first success in heat 3. Rusty Harrison scorched to a win in the fastest time of the afternoon while Cameron Woodward passed Bentley to join him for a 1-5 to close the gap to 10-8. It was clear though that there was a big problem with the third and fourth bends which had cut up badly and were causing a lot of problems for the riders.

Ross Brady led heat 4 for a couple of laps but Shane Parker got into gear to pass his partner Trent Leverington and Brady with his trademark first/second bend outside blast for a 4-2 to Glasgow. Theo Pijper had an easy win in heat 5 but again Daniel Nermark was tailed off badly at the back. In heat 6 George Stancl looked to have the race won with Ross Brady in second place but Stancl seized his engine causing him to fall before Matthew Wethers brought the house down with a fine pass of Brady on the last lap. This drawn heat took the score to 20-16 but the Tigers got a real shock in heat 7.

Cameron Woodward blasted round the outside of Shane parker on the first and second bends and never put a foot wrong in denying Parker his favourite passing lines. In sheer desperation Parker went for a huge blast on the last bend only to swerve to the fence allowing Rusty Harrison through to second place for a 1-5 to the Monarchs and all of a sudden the scores were level at 21-21. Trent Leverington and Matthew Wethers stormed from the gate in heat 8 and never looked like being caught to restore Glasgow’s four point lead and another 5-1 came Glasgow’s way in heat 9 when Bentley and Birkenshaw took the maximum as Ross Brady pulled out on the second lap when lying second. Glasgow were now 8 points ahead at 31-23 and with Stancl and Parker due out in heats 13 and 15 were looking for a big first leg lead.

They looked like increasing it in heat 10 when Matthew Wethers and George Stancl led from the gate but Rusty Harrison took Stancl on the outside before hunting down Wethers. Matthew was heading for his paid maximum but made a real mess of the last bend to let Harrison and his partner through for a shared heat. Heat 11 produced an easy win for Shane Parker from Theo Pijper and Daniel Nermark picked up his first point by beating Gary Beaton. Edinburgh hit back with their second 1-5 in heat 13 thanks to an excellent win from William Lawson. All the excitement was at the back, however, as Trent Leverington fell on the fourth bend of lap three chasing Lawson and allowing Harrison through while James Birkinshaw threw a chain avoiding his fallen partner and had to push home for over a lap for the third place point.

The expected 5-1 from Parker and Stancl materialised in heat 13 and Edinburgh were 8 down again. It wasn’t enough for them to use a TR but since teams can still use the TS change when only 8 points down the Monarchs brought in Harrison off 15 metres in place of Robert Ksiezak. Paul Bentley made a fast start and Rusty Harrison couldn’t quite make up the ground over the four laps. He did finish second though and with Cameron Woodward third ahead of Trent Leverington Edinburgh took a 3-5 to get back to within six points of the Glasgow total.

With Stancl and Parker out again in heat 15 against William Lawson and Cameron Woodward another Glasgow 5-1 was expected. However Cameron Woodward was having none of it and although the two Glasgow riders were fast away Woodward chased Parker hard. On the third bend of lap two Woodward dived hard under Parker and although there was no contact Parker fell as Woodward moved across to take his line. There then followed some arm waving and a visit to the referee’s box as Parker was excluded, a decision he didn’t seem to agree with. A good deal of rabble rousing failed to persuade the referee to change his mind and George Stancl won the rerun with ease for another shared heat.

Match Report by Merlin