Speedway: Glasgow Tigers recover their growl to demolish Edinburgh Monarchs

Jul 23 2012 By Fraser Wilson

SENSATIONAL James Grieves hit a 15-point maximum as Glasgow Tigers gained sweet revenge on Edinburgh Monarchs at Ashfield on Sunday.

Grieves was in unstoppable form as he and his team mates made no mistake against their fiercest rivals just three weeks after being dumped in the KO Cup by the same opponents at the same venue.

Glasgow's intentions were clear from the off as they raced into a 10-point lead after just five heats.

And, although the Monarchs fought back to within four points with three heats remaining, Glasgow's big guns Grieves and Joe Screen made sure the Tigers secured all the points with crucial 5-1 wins in heats 13 and 15.

Glasgow made two changes to their team with new signing and former tiger Henning Bager making his home debut and guest Robert Ksiezak replacing Filip Sitera who broke a collar bone at Rye House on Saturday night. 

The Monarchs team showed one change with German new signing Marcel Helfer riding at reserve.

Skipper Joe Screen gated well and with Mason Campton passing both the Monarchs riders, the Tigers got off the best possible start with a 5-1.

Robert Ksiezak won the reserves race but with Jayden O'Malley retiring the race was shared.

Henning Bager then won his first race back at Ashfield in heat three as Tigers recorded the first of three consecutive 4-2s to open up a ten point gap after just five heats.

Thankfully, from a competitive point of view, the Monarchs dug in after this, denying Glasgow a heat advantage in any of the next seven races.

Andrew Tully was used a tactical ride in heat six but was no match for home skipper Joe Screen although his four points from a second place was enough to share the race.

Campton won heat eight but with Helfer passing Ksiezak on bend two of the last lap the race was shared.

Andrew Tully won heat nine but his partner Micky Dyer fell at the back on the last lap aggravating a previous foot injury causing him to withdraw from the meeting. 

Former Tiger Theo Pijper won heat ten with an impressive from-the-gates victory as he used all his Ashfield know-how to keep Joe Screen at bay and inflict the Glasgow skipper's only defeat of the night. And with Mason Campton retiring the Monarchs had their first heat advantage.

Both Pijper and Marcel Helfer sped from the gate in heat 12 to record a shock 5-1 for the Monarchs in heat to reduce Tigers led to just 4 points.

Heat 13 was the best race of the evening as James Grieves and Joe Screen scored a 5-1 for Tigers but only after the unfortunate Tully fell heavily on the last bend after leading the race for three and a half laps.

Grieves and Screen then repeated their heat 13 heroics with another 5-1 in the last race with James winning the race to complete a five-ride 15 point maximum.

The Elderslie-based rider was treated to the bumps as way of celebration but this was an excellent team effort from the Tigers with six of the side recording a race win and gaining revenge for the earlier cup defeat.

GLASGOW  TIGERS...52

 Joe Screen 12+2 Mason Campton 6+1 Josh Grajczonek 7 Henning Bager 7+1 James Grieves 15 Jayden O'Malley 0 Robert Ksiezak (G) 5+1

EDINBURGH MONARCHS...40

 Craig Cook 5 Derek Sneddon  4+1 Theo Pijper  8+1 Matthew Wethers 8 Andrew Tully 9 Micky Dyer 1+1 Marcel Helfer  5+2