Berwick Bullets unable to contain Edinburgh reserves in narrow defeat

But this time it was the home reserves – along with Max Clegg – who inflicted the pain.

Despite going into heat 15 with an outside chance of forcing a draw – Steve Boxall and Connor Coles would have needed a 5-1 to do it – they were once again outgunned by a trio which scored all-bar six of their side’s points.

Mickie Simpson set Shielfield alight when the sides met a few weeks ago, his machine combusting on the centre green. But on Friday he was hot-stuff on-track taking seven rides and clocking up 16 points, most of them from the back.

Berwick were slow to counter his Craig Cook-like tight line through three and off four which picked off the faster-starting visitors all night, Danny Phillips being especially vulnerable before finally getting the better of the Lincolnshire teenager in heat 14, Mason Watson’s third place setting up the last heat decider.

The Bullets were solid and pretty fast from the gate but found heat advantages difficult to come by.

Coles and Jamie Halder – back among the points again – got them off to a perfect start taking advantage of Roynon’s mechanical gremlins which followed him from the Championship fixture, the Cumbrian shedding a chain at the start of heat one.

Simpson and Dayle Wood, paid for 12 on the night, hit back immediately but the Coles/Halder combination triumphed again in heat five as home guest Max Perry fell while second.

Steve Boxall brought his Championship form to the party and looked capable of turning the match the Bullets’ way. His heat nine 4-2 with Kieran Douglas levelled the match again.

Halder left Clegg trailing in his wake in the run to the first bend of heat 11 and then Coles roared around the field only for first Clegg and then Simpson to use the inside run off four, the Berwick number one hitting the deck as he tried to keep Clegg at bay.

With him went the Bullets hopes of victory, Simpson again picking off Phillips and with Wood relegating Douglas to the back Edinburgh led by six points with three heats remaining.

The much-anticipated battle of the big guns fizzled out a bit in 13 as Roynon failed to turn on his fuel tap and was left on the line, Clegg keeping Boxall at bay.

On a night of baffling refereeing the Bullets benefited big style in heat 14 as Mason Watson wiped out the unfortunate Perry on the second bend only for the referee to call all four back.

Watson’s third place as Phillips finally found the line to first force his way past Simpson and then keep the teenager at bay, closed the gap to four points.

Coles showed steely reserve to push Clegg wide on the first bend of heat 15 and, with Boxall making a run for home, battled to keep both the Yorkshireman and Wood at bay.

Wood’s somewhat reckless dive up the inside knocked Coles out of shape and let Clegg through. Had the number one hit the deck who knows what decision the referee would have made on a night of baffling adjudications, but he stayed upright and gave chase but could not find a way past the Monarchs talisman.

“We worked hard and scored solidly throughout without being able to land the killer punch,” a disappointed Scott Courtney said after the meeting.

“Steve Boxall has had a night to remember, and we were making the starts but that little bit of trackcraft makes all the difference at Armadale, and we couldn’t contain their reserves.”

Monarchs Speedway Academy 46

Berwick Bullets 44

Monarchs: Adam Roynon 4+1, Mark Parker 2, Max Perry 0, Max Clegg 13+1, Mickie Simpson 16, Dayle Wood 11+1

Bullets: Connor Coles 8+1, Jamie Halder 8+3, Danny Phillips 11, Steve Boxall 13, Kieran Douglas 1, Mason Watson 3+1