Edinburgh Monarchs v Redcar Bears

Report

EDINBURGH will take an 18-point advantage to Redcar on Saturday 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.”

CHAMPIONSHIP PLAY OFF, QUARTER FINAL, 1st leg
EDINBURGH 54: Josh Pickering 15, Sam Masters 13+2, Paco Castagna 6+2, James Sarjeant 5+1, Lasse Fredriksen 5, Kye Thomsen 5, Jacob Hook 5.
REDCAR 36: Charles Wright 10, Kyle Newman 8+1, Kasper Andersen 7+1, Aaron Summers 5+1, Lewis Kerr 3+1, Jordan Jenkins 3+1, Jason Edwards r/r.

OFFICIAL REFEREE SCORECARD
Available here

Photo credit: JACK CUPIDO