Home comfort as Berwick Bandits bounce back against Edinburgh

At Armadale on Good Friday, the Monarchx won 50-40, with Berwick gaining revenge just 24 hours later with a comfortable 56-34 home win.

Edinburgh 50

Berwick 40

On Friday the teams met at Armadale when the Monarchs took the spoils with a 50-40 home victory.

There was nothing much between the sides in the early stages, with the scores level at 15-15 after five races.

Edinburgh edged ahead with two 4-2’s in heats six and nine, and after 12 races Bandits were still in contention at 38-34.

But the pairing of Josh Pickering, who dropped only one point from five outings, and Sam Masters who was unbeaten as he raced to a paid 15 maximum, saw the home side take the honours with 5-1 heat wins over Chris Harris and Ricky Wells in heats 13 and 15.

Edinburgh - Pickering 14, Masters 13+2 (paid max), Castagna 9, Fredriksen 5, Sarjeant 4+2, Thomson 4+1, Hook 1.

Berwick - Wells 11, Pijper 9+1, Harris 8, Flint 5+1, Etheridge 5, Bickley 1+1, Proctor 1+1.

Berwick 56

Edinburgh 34

Berwick bounced back and avenged their Armadale loss at Shielfield on Saturday.

Six of the seven Bandits won at least one race with Ricky Wells and Jye Etheridge both paid for four victories, Wells being denied his paid maximum by Josh Pickering in heat 13 and Etheridgd by Sam Masters in heat 15, which was re-run after the visitors original two of Pickering and Paco Castagna both crashed out.

Berwick were always in control after opening up a 32-16 lead after eight heats, but Edinburgh, with Masters, Pickering and Castagna all raking the chequered flag, made them fight all the way.

Berwick - Wells 12+2, Etheridge 12+1, Harris 10, Pijper 8+1, Proctor 7+2, Flint 4, Buckley 3+2.

Edinburgh - Masters 10, Pickering 9+1, Sarjeant 5+2, Castagna 4, Thomson 3, Hook 1+1, Fredriksen 1.

This weekend the Bandits face two tough meetings. They are away to Glasgow Tigers on Friday before taking on the resurrected Oxford Cheetahs at Shielfield on Saturday.