What the Fork Monarchs showed their mettle, sticking to task to become the first team to leave Poole with anything this year courtesy of a Heat 15 maximum from Richie Worrall (pictured) and Sam Masters

With the disappointment of a late collapse at Plymouth 24 hours earlier it would have been the easy option for the Monarchs to fold when facing a 14 point deficit eight heats in.

A late fight back including that last heat 5-1 from Worrall and Masters meant one league point

A home rider was first to the flag in the first eight races, most of this work being done from the gate as passing was at a premium on a track that neither camp seemed overly happy with.

Heat 9 was the start of the fight back as Worrall and tactical substitute Masters roared from the tapes for a maximum.

The lead was lessened further in the following as Josh Pickering forged ahead only to hit a bump and head for the fence thus allowing home man Rory Schlein through.

Schlein fell victim to the same patch of track the following lap, doing well to stay on but allowing Pickering back through.

Monarchs delivered in the final heat as they shot from the tapes, Masters allowing Worrall round him to claiming a hard-fought point.

Poole 48: Schlein 12, Bickley 2, S Worrall 10, Nielsen 4, K ing 8, Cook 5+1, Hume 7+1

Edinburgh 42: Masters 13+2, Lawson 1+1, Thomson 4+1, Pickering 10, Worrall 10+1, Crang 0, Greaves 4

Website | + posts

Experienced news, business, arts, sport and travel journalist. Food critic and managing editor of a well-established food and travel website. Also a magazine editor of publications with circulations of up to 200,000 and managing director of a long-established PR/marketing company with a string of blue-chip clients in its CV. Former communications lecturer at a Scottish university and social media specialist for a string of successful and busy SMEs.