PREVIEW: REDCAR v EDINBURGH (Champ PO QF)

EDINBURGH will take an 18-point advantage to Redcar this evening (Saturday, 5pm) for the second leg of their Championship play-off quarter-final.

Josh Pickering (15) and Sam Masters (13+2) both scored maximums for the Monarchs at Armadale as they defeated the Bears 54-36.

There were three multi-rider pile-ups during the meeting, with Redcar’s Lewis Kerr withdrawing after a Heat 9 crash and Edinburgh’s Kye Thomson also feeling the effects.

Charles Wright top-scored for the visitors with 10, and interestingly they did defeat the Monarchs by 18 points the last time the teams met on Teesside.

Edinburgh boss Alex Harkess said: “If you’d offered me an 18-point lead at the start I’d certainly have taken it, but in the end I feel a little disappointed that we didn’t take a bit more of a lead.

“I thought we rode pretty well but there were heats we might have done better in.”

Redcar have declared Erik Riss in their side for Saturday’s return at the Ecco Arena with the German set to return from injury, and they will continue to operate rider replacement for Jason Edwards.

Paco Castagna is missing for the Monarchs due to the Italian Championship, with his place taken by guest Adam Roynon.

REDCAR: Erik Riss, Jason Edwards r/r, Charles Wright, Jordan Jenkins, Lewis Kerr, Kyle Newman, Kasper Andersen.
EDINBURGH: Sam Masters, Lasse Fredriksen, Kye Thomson, Adam Roynon, Josh Pickering, James Sarjeant, Jacob Hook.

*LIVE STREAMING: https://watch.britishspeedway.co.uk

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Photo credit: JACK CUPIDO