MONARCHS BOSS SLAMS DISPLAY

EDINBURGH manager John Campbell pulled no punches after his side went down to a 54-34 defeat at Plymouth in the Cab Direct Championship on Tuesday.

Campbell had targeted the trip to the Coliseum for an away win, but the Monarchs fell well short after being just two points down after Heat 7 as they conceded a run of three successive 5-1s.

Dan Thompson top-scored for the Gladiators with 11+1 and Nico Covatti made a successful comeback with 11, whilst Josh Pickering provided the bulk of the resistance for the visitors with 14 from six rides, including a new track record and some spectacular blasts from the back in the second half of the meeting.

Campbell said: “I came here believing we had a very good chance of the win and the aggregate point, and to be so heavily beaten simply isn’t good enough.

“Okay, the track at the start of the meeting is unsettling, the lack of starting gates is unsettling, but we actually started okay – then the way we were brushed aside was embarrassing.

“Without Josh and just behind him Lasse (Fredriksen) it would have been even more embarrassing.”

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Photo credit: DAN WESTLAKE