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Stoke Potters v Edinburgh Monarchs
Premier Trophy (Group), 22 April 2006
Loomer Road, Stoke

Stoke 44
1Mark Lemon23R31 6!3180
2Michael Coles011.. ..20
3Paul Clews13020 ..60
4Robbie Kessler322*1*R ..82
6Barrie Evans23102 0080
7Luke Priest1*10.. ..21
Edinburgh 49
1Henrik Moller3122*. ..81
2Theo Pijper1331*1* ..92
3Matthew Wethers012*3. ..61
4William Lawson2031*. ..61
5Rusty Harrison223M2 ..90
6Sean Stoddart000.. ..00
7Derek Sneddon3Fx2*13 2.111

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

Stoke were without Alan Mogridge who had pulled out of the Championship of Great Britain qualifier at Rye House to ride for the Potters. The BSPA took a dim view of his withdrawal, however, and banned him from riding in this match. Stoke were allowed to use R/R in his place. Edinburgh were at full strength.

Edinburgh got off to a good start when Henrik Moller made the gate in heat 1 and held off the challenge of Mark Lemon to win the race. Theo Pijper picked up third place from Michael Coles for a 2-4 and a two point Edinburgh lead. Derek Sneddon won the reserves race for a shared heat but Stoke pulled level in heat 3. Robbie Kessler made the start with William Lawson chasing hard. At the back an exciting race between Paul Clews and Matthew Wethers ended with the Stoke man taking the point for a 4-2. Paul Clews led heat 4 chased by Derek Sneddon but Sneddon fell on the third lap and the race was awarded to Clews with Rusty Harrison in second and Luke Priest picking up the gift third place point. The 4-2 put the Potters two points in front as the heat 4 score was 13-11.

In heat 5 it was all square again as Edinburgh scored another 2-4. Theo Pijper beat Robbie Kessler and Henrik Moller consigned Paul Clews to the back but after heat 6 the Potters were back in front again. Mark Lemon made the gate from Rusty Harrison with Michael Coles third and that’s how it finished with Stoke taking a 4-2 from the heat and a two point lead again. The Potters then pulled six points in front with the first 5-1 of the match. Barrie Evans got a flyer from the gate leaving Robbie Kessler and Matthew Wethers to contest second place. The referee gave it to Kessler on the run in - a decision which was not met with universal agreement. Edinburgh immediately hit back with a 1-5 of their own. Theo Pijper and Derek Sneddon both made fast starts leaving Michael Coles in their wake so the score after eight heats was 25-23.

Rusty Harrison made a good start to heat 9 and went on to win the race from Clews and Kessler and a shared heat but in heat 10 Edinburgh rocked the home side with another 1-5. William Lawson led the race and the battle was at the back where Mark Lemon chased Matthew Wethers hard for second place. Just as Lemon finally got past for what looked like second place his bike packed up so Wethers took second place back again. This result wiped out Stoke’s lead and saw Edinburgh lead by two points at 29-31. Mark Lemon was out again in heat 11. Henrik Moller took an early lead but Lemon passed him for the race win. With Moller and Theo Pijper filling the minor places the Monarchs stayed two points up. They stretched the lead to four points in heat 12 when Matthew Wethers won the heat from Barrie Evans who passed the hard-worked Derek Sneddon for second place. This 2-4 took the score after 12 heats to 34-38.

Heat 13 produced another shock for the home side. In the first attempt to get the race under way Rusty Harrison jumped the start and was excluded by the referee. In came Derek Sneddon again and together with Henrik Moller they gated leaving Mark Lemon trailing in their wake for the 1-5 which stretched the Monarchs’ lead to eight points at 35-43. This allowed Mark Lemon to be introduced in heat 14 as a Tactical Substitute starting from 15 metres back joining Robbie Kessler in an effort to get back into contention. It was Derek Sneddon and William Lawson who made the gate but, although Mark Lemon did eventually pass both the Edinburgh riders on the last bend, it was too late because Robbie Kessler had pulled up with an engine failure. This resulted in a 3-6 but it was too little too late as the Monarchs held a 5 point lead going into the last race needing only a finisher to guarantee the win. In the event the last heat was won by Mark Lemon with Rusty Harrison and Theo Pijper sharing the points behind him. Mark Lemon had incredibly contrived to ride in five of the last six heats starting in heat 10 and missing only heat 12.

Match Report by Merlin