What the Fork Monarchs gave themselves an excellent chance of qualifying for the SGB Championship Knockout Cup quarter-final by winning 49-41 in the first round, first-leg at Newcastle last Sunday. The return is at Armadale on Friday (tapes-up 7.30pm).
Monarchs bosses would be disappointed if their men can’t finish the job, even allowing for the many years of close and unpredictable results against Newcastle.
And the Armadale side have started the season well, registering a ten-point home win over Berwick Bandits before winning on Tyneside.
Diamonds, however, have a great deal of Armadale experience with former Monarchs riders Matthew Wethers and Max Clegg in the side and they, plus ex-Glasgow Tigers rider, Paul Starke, and former Scottish Open champion, James Wright, form the backbone of the Newcastle side.
The visitors plan to use rider replacement for their injured No 1 Bradley Wilson-Dean and this allows any of their other riders an additional outing.
Alex Harkess, Monarchs’ team manager, said: “This Friday we have to keep improving and making things better. Hopefully any mechanical gremlins that anyone has had will be sorted out.”
Friday’s match will be live streamed and details are on www.edinburghmonarchs.co.uk.
WTF MONARCHS: Sam Masters (capt), Lasse Fredriksen, Paco Castagna, Kye Thomson, Josh Pickering, Jacob Hook, James Sarjeant.
ADVANCED FIRE AND SECURITY DIAMONDS: Rider replacement for Bradley Wilson-Dean, Matthew Wethers, James Wright (capt), Max Clegg, Paul Starke, Lee Complin, George Congreve.
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