Scottish Cup Goes East
(Posted 07/10/07)

It had a distinct end of season feel about it, no doubt the over lengthy delay between meetings didn't help, but this one certainly was not a classic.

The destination of the cup had virtually been decided by Friday night's display and the meeting had an air of being academic about it. Tigers had to draft in Gary Havelock as a late replacement for Craig Watson who was ruled out with a broken shoulder although it was only agreed to with the proviso he did not ride in heat 15. In addition it was rider replacement for Robert Ksiezak who was struggling with the head knock received in the first meeting of the afternoon.

The opening heat was well spread out, Stancl winning from the gate, Dan Giffard doing the same in a shared heat 2.

Jason Lyons made the gate in heat 3 but it looked briefly as if he had gone to wide on the second bend, Kaj Laukkanen looking as though he was just edging it. However the move wide gave Lyons extra grip and he shot ahead into the lead to win another well spread out shared heat.

Wethers gated in heat 4 but was edged out in a good hard second bend by Trent Leverington who came through into the lead. It only lasted half a lap however as Matthew powered round the outside of Trent into the lead off the final bend of the opening lap and once again the race finished well spread out.

Heat 5 saw the Edinburgh pair outgate the Glasgow riders again but Lyons was quick to challenge, coming out of the second bend ahead. Stancl immediately hit back however reclaiming the lead on the third bend and going on to win.

Glasgow's late stand in guest Gary Havelock easily won heat 6, the only action being a good pass by Wethers on the inside of bend 4 to pass a surprised David McAllan.

Coles was under pressure at the back from Arlo Bugeja in heat 7 when he pulled up with engine trouble in a heat Kaj Laukkanen was first out of the gate and therefore first over the finishing line.

Its almost became a stock standard phrase to use in meetings featuring Derek Sneddon that 'Sneddon was excluded for unfair riding when he brought David McAllan down'. This meeting it came in heat 8, David colliding heavily with the fence. After treatment he was able to get back to his feet, albeit gingerly, and came out and won the re-run. Behind him, Lee Dicken did well to hold off all Dan Giffard's attempts to overtake and the Tigers had their first 5-1 of the match.

The second followed quickly with Jason Lyons winning heat 9 comfortably from the gate and Trent doing a sterling job to hold off Wethers and Giffard in the early stages then thwart Giffard's attempts for the remainder of the race to secure a hard worked for second place.

Back to a well spread out shared heat from the gate in heat 10, Laukkanen being the winner before Trent came out and did the business again in heat 11. This time he was in front with George Stancl breathing down his neck for the first three laps. With Trent handling everything his ex-team mate threw at him for three laps he was then able to pull clear on the final lap as Stancl appeared to back off.

Back to another well spread out heat in 12 although this time Tigers got a heat advantage courtesy of a win from Lyons and Lee Dicken's third place.

Heat 13 was definitely the best of this particular meeting, all four riders at some point holding the lead in the opening lap. Havelock won the heat with Trent again having a good battle with Matthew Wethers for second place. This time Matthew had the advantage of being in front however and trent was unable to get through. Stancl tailed off at the back fairly early on.

Not surprisingly Edinburgh brought Sneddon out as a TR in heat 14 but he was shown a clean pair of heels by David McAllan who after a good gate came out of the second bend ahead and went on to win comfortably with Michael Coles claiming third place.

With Havelock barred from riding in heat 15 and Trent Leverington having blown his engine at the end of heat 13, Lee Dicken came out to partner Jason Lyons in heat 15. Lyons won the heat from the gate but Lee was unable to make inroads on the Monarchs pairing of Wethers and Laukkanen and the heat became yet another shared heat from the gate.

Certainly not a classic meeting and the contrast between it and the previous one against Redcar was stark. There is no doubt Edinburgh deserved to retain the Scottish Cup, the patched up Tigers did the business and got the victory on the day but there were very few moments of excitement in this one to help fans forget the long wait.