EDINBURGH Scotwaste Monarchs joined Somerset Rebels at the top of the Premier League last night after pulling off a terrific 48-41 victory at Reading Racers – the first time the Berkshire side have tasted defeat in the league at Smallmead this season.
Monarchs may be perceived as being slightly vulnerable at Armadale after Rye House Rockets came so close to upsetting their apple cart there on Friday, but on the road it's a different story. Monarchs' form remains encouragingly solid – and it's away
from home where this year's championship will be decided.
Monarchs and Somerset are tied on 27 points, although the Capital outfit have ridden one meeting more. However, Somerset are due to visit King's Lynn and Sheffield on Wednesday and Thursday respectively and how they fare will be a good indicator of their true title credentials.
Monarchs' twin heroes at Reading were skipper Derek Sneddon and Swede Thomas Jonasson.
Jonasson, who has come under fire over his commitment to Monarchs, left no-one in any doubt as to where his loyalties lie with a stunning 12-point total. The 21-year-old was unbeaten in his first four rides before surviving a nasty spill in the last race involving Reading No.1 Ulrich Ostergaard. Jonasson was poised to take the lead but Ostergaard left him no room on the first corner and he was punted over the fence.
Jonasson walked away unscathed, but the wind had been taken out of his sails and he couldn't stop Ostergaard and partner Mark Lemon storming to a 5-1 success in the rerun. It was academic as Monarchs had already clinched the match points.
And, while Jonasson felt pretty sore at the end, it couldn't take the shine off his performance.
"I was very pleased by the way I rode," he said. "I made some good starts in my early races, but the whole team all did their bit, it was nice to win another away match." Sneddon, whose confidence appears to be in the ascendancy once more since dropping down to reserve, top-scored with 14.
Monarchs took the lead in heat two with a 5-1 from Sneddon and Aaron Summers, the latter coming through the middle of the two Reading reserves to join Sneddon at the front. Monarchs never lost the lead and virtually sealed victory in heat 11 when Jonasson and guest Kris Stojanowski – standing in for the injured William Lawson – were handed a 5-0 when both Reading riders fell off.
The next two races were shared before Monarchs grabbed another maximum advantage in the penultimate heat courtesy of Sneddon and Ryan Fisher. However Fisher – as he did against Rye House – endured a helter skelter evening and should easily have posted a double-figure return instead of the five points he ended up with.
The Californian's over eagerness is costing him the race wins he so publicly craves – it's also hitting him in the pocket. In his first outing, he chased like fury after Ostergaard but on the last lap the Monarchs ace reared up and careered into the fence, turning what should have been a shared heat into a 4-2 for Reading.
After winning his next race, Fisher blew it in heat ten after he and Sneddon were leading Lemon and Tom Madsen. Fisher decided to burst round the outside of Sneddon and once more reared up and ploughed into the safety fence.
Monarchs director Mike Hunter said: "Ryan is so good but he doesn't know how to take the points when they are there. However, he didn't cost us the match.
"This was a great win because not many teams will win at Reading. Somerset were there in the cup not so long ago and were getting hammered until late on. So there is evidence to suggest we are a lot better than Somerset. But the title will be won by how many away wins you get. This victory could be described as a little bonus for us."
Monarchs move on to the Isle of Wight tomorrow night where Workington's Carl Stonehewer steps in for Lawson.
Reading: Lemon 12, Ostergaard 11, Madsen 7, Smith 5, Mills 4, Suchanek 2, Glanz 0.
Monarchs: Sneddon 14, Jonasson 12, Stojanowski 6, Fisher 5, Wethers 4, Summers 4, Tully 3.
The full article contains 719 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
