MONARCHS KEEP IT TIGHT

POOLE were held to a nine-point first leg advantage by Edinburgh on Wednesday to leave their Cab Direct KO Cup tie fascinatingly poised.

The Pirates won the first leg 49-40 with the Monarchs putting in a resilient display to keep themselves in the hunt ahead of next Friday’s return fixture at Armadale.

Home No.1 Richard Lawson scored 14 from five rides with Tom Brennan adding 11+1, and Lawson dropped his first point of the season at Wimborne Road to Josh Pickering who led the visitors’ scoring with 13.

Lawson said: “It was a shame that I couldn’t max out again, but Josh is a good rider to race against and he had the beating of me in Heat 13.

“We have had lots of battles in the past and only recently I denied him his maximum at Berwick so I guess he was keen to do it back to me.”

Edinburgh manager John Campbell said: “It was a battling display and I actually felt we maybe left a couple of points on the track at times, but we have to be happy with that and the second leg is finely poised.”

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Photo credit: TONY HARTMAN