MONARCHS WIN OPENER

EDINBURGH made a winning start to their Championship Jubilee League group with a 51-39 win over Berwick at Armadale.

The two sides meet again tonight (Saturday) at Shielfield Park in a meeting which will be significant for the Monarchs ahead of next week’s clashes with Glasgow.

Sam Masters led the way for the hosts with 13 points and Paco Castagna hit double-figures with 10, whilst Chris Harris racked up 14 for the visitors including wins in Heats 13 and 15.

Edinburgh boss Alex Harkess said: “I was very pleased with how the team performed tonight. With the weather threatening track preparation was difficult and yet it proved to be a good racing surface.

“Staff and riders deserve all the more praise for coming up with such eventful and enjoyable racing.”

Berwick manager Gary Flint said: “It was a pretty familiar story on our visits to Armadale. Even when we made the gate, we left half a gap and Edinburgh were through it.

“Again I cannot really fault the effort of the guys with Nathan (Stoneman) probably having his best showing in Berwick colours but it was another disappointing result at one of our least favourite tracks.

“Tomorrow is another night and I will be looking for a positive response from the Bandits and build up a momentum to take into Sunday’s match at Leicester.”

Both sides make changes on Saturday with Charles Wright coming in at No.1 for Berwick as Harris is racing for GB in the FIM European Pairs at Macon. Edinburgh bring in Lee Complin and Kasper Andersen as Lasse Fredriksen and Castagna are involved in the same meeting.

BERWICK: Charles Wright, Theo Pijper, Jye Etheridge, Ricky Wells, Leon Flint, Jonas Knudsen, Nathan Stoneman.
EDINBURGH: Sam Masters, Lee Complin, Kye Thomson, Kasper Andersen, Josh Pickering, Jacob Hook, James Sarjeant.

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Photo credit: JACK CUPIDO