BARRING something cataclysmic, Edinburgh Scotwaste Monarchs have qualified for the Premier Trophy speedway semi-finals despite Workington Comets ending the Capital side's six-match winning streak at Derwent Park.
Workington sneaked home 48-45 but, unless the Comets can defeat Glasgow Tigers by 40 or 50 points, Monarchs – who hold a huge points difference advantage over their Cumbrian rivals – will secure their deserved qualification place.
Monarchs co-
promoter John Campbell, pictured right, today admitted: "We're almost there.
"Workington would need to beat Glasgow by a huge margin and we would need a high score when we visit Glasgow on April 27, but it's my belief it is beyond Workington."
Such is the confidence in the Monarchs' camp at the moment overturning the Comets in their own den wasn't considered that tall a task.
"It was a satisfactory result," said Campbell. "We needed to run Workington close to make sure we get to the semi-finals and I think we are well on the way now.
"I was never confident about actually winning the match."
Conditions were slick and dusty to begin with but a snow and hail downpour caused a 20-minute delay to proceedings after heat five which turned the track surface heavy and wet.
Both sides could point to bad luck. Monarchs were on a cast iron 5-1 from Matthew Wethers and Aaron Summers over Comets heat leader Kauko Nieminen in heat four only for Summers to agonisingly shed a chain.
But it was Comets' turn to sigh in frustration in heat 12 when William Lawson, on a tactical ride, and Andrew Tully scored a big 8-1 advantage thanks to an engine failure by Comets favourite Carl Stonehewer.
This brought Monarchs back into contention after they fell ten points behind.
But Monarchs had no answer to Workington's undoubted No 1 Daniel Nermark who romped to a 15-point maximum and never looked in the slightest danger of being headed in any of his five races.
Ryan Fisher, who was determined to reverse his sluggishness from the tapes at Armadale on Friday, scored eight. But he fell in his opening ride and shed a primary chain in heat 15 while ahead of Stonehewer.
Campbell observed: "It was a satisfactory display from Ryan. It was almost in frustration that he fell trying to pass Scott Smith in that first heat and that to an extent unsettled him. Ryan was so up for heat 15 feeling he could beat Nermark. I didn't like to say to him he had no chance!
"Any team wanting to win at Workington will need to find a way past Nermark. It looks impossible at the moment."
Monarchs' captain Derek Sneddon picked up nine points which included two wins and felt, unlike Campbell, that Workington could have been beaten.
"To be honest, travelling down, every single member of the team felt we could win. That just underlines how good the attitude is within the camp.
"At the end we were happy with our display but gutted to have lost by just two points. But the boys all did their job. Aaron and Ryan both lost chains otherwise we might have taken the win.
"But given the weather conditions everyone rode fantastically well. Some of the Workington riders wanted the meeting called off – but we just wanted to get on with it."
However the Falkirk rider wasn't that impressed with his performance in his last ride, confessing: "I made a bit of a boo-boo. I allowed myself to get pushed wide by Nieminen but I was happy to come away with nine points."
Lawson was joint top scorer with Aussie Matthew Wethers, both picking up 11. Lawson began with a last and a third but won his final two rides, including that tactical six pointer in the twelfth race.
It was definitely a case of mission accomplished for Monarchs who crucially restricted Comets top duo Nieminen and Stonehewer to single figures.
Meanwhile, injured Swede Thomas Jonasson is expected to return to the saddle for Monarchs opening league match of the season at Redcar Bears on Thursday. Jonasson injured his back at Glasgow a fortnight ago and Campbell said: "I believe Thomas rode in Poland and I fully expect him to be back this week".
Workington: Nermark 15, Stonehewer 8, Nieminen 7, Wright 6, Smith 4, Haines 4, Branney 3.
Monarchs: Lawson 11, Wethers 11, Sneddon 9, Fisher 8, Tully 4, Summers 1.
The full article contains 749 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
