Stewart Dickson has urged his Berwick Jewson Bandits riders to raise their game for this weekend’s basement derbies with Stellar Omada Monarchs.
The opening clash is at Armadale on Friday (tapes-up 7.30pm) and the return is at Shielfield Park on Saturday (tapes-up 7pm) and the clubs currently sit in the bottom two places in the Cab Direct Championship.
They are separated only by points’ difference and both have five meetings left to race.
A maximum haul from those remaining fixtures could see either team sneak the final play-off place but, in reality, the clubs are in a three-way fight with Plymouth Gladiators to avoid the wooden spoon.
Edinburgh have a BSN Series semi-final to look forward to and they lost once in the BSN, by four points at Berwick, but Monarchs have beaten play-off contenders Scunthorpe Scorpions and Oxford Cheethas in the Championship at Armadale and Poole Pirates in the home leg of the Knockout Cup.
They also disposed of a below-strength Workington Comets side at Armadale last week but home losses to Redcar Bears and Plymouth plus a blank on the road see them in the bottom part of the table.
Ben Barker and Joe Thompson guest for the Bandits in both matches in place of Berwick’s duo of injured former Monarchs star Rory Schlein and Bastian Borke.
Edinburgh are minus Justin Sedgmen who suffered concussion in a first-bend pile-up against Workington. Edinburgh have opted for rider-replacement.
Berwick went into April’s BSN Series meeting at Armadale full of hope after winning both of their home meetings only to lose Jye Etheridge and Drew Kemp after their machines locked together on the back straight and hurled them into the third bend fence.
Two shed chains at the starting line for Danyon Hume, who won two of his other three races, effectively ended their challenge and Lewi Kerr, a consistent high scorer at Armadale, was also missing through injury that night.
Monarchs can give extra rides to Kye Thomson, who has a particularly good record against the Bandits on home shale. while captain Paco Castagna is also in fine form.
Dickson said: “No question, we need to raise our game from Wednesday night at Oxford.” Bandits lost 53-37.
The team manager (pictured) added: “Having Joe Thompson with us this week is a great bit by business the club and gives us a solid reserve while Ben Barker will bring his swashbuckling approach to the weekend. It’s a big ask to cover for Rory, especially at Armadale, but we have riders who go well there.
“They just have to produce it on the night. At Oxford we gated well but then found ourselves riding the wrong lines allowing the Cheetahs through. Five points are up for grabs. We have to prove that we want it more.”
Edinburgh: Josh Pickering, Kye Thomson, Lasse Fredriksen, Paco Castagna, rider replacement for Justin Sedgmen (Saturday Leon Flint), Max James, Connor Coles
Bandits: Lewi Kerr, Danyon Hume, Jye Etheridge, Drew Kemp, Ben Barker, Freddy Hodder, Joe Thompson
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