Missing Pijper, Henry, Grajczonek and Morris, Glasgow had to turn to guests all of whom played their part in this afternoon's win
After an unsatisfactory start, Captain Joe Screen got the meeting off to a good start with an impressive win from the tapes in the opening heat. Monarchs guest Ryan Fisher did try to compete but was never really that close to Joe. At the rear, young Rob Branford was giving Matthew Wethers a race of it. He surprised the Monarchs captain passing inside him entering the back straight but Wethers hit back straight away on bend 3. It took Wethers another couple of laps however to shake the determined youngster off.
Mudgway anticipated the start in heat 2 and after watching to see who had the advantage out of bend 2 the referee rightly called it back. As with the initial running, Michal Rajkowski hit the front out of the gate and quickly pulled clear, going on to win impressively. Jade Mudgway came through the inside off bend 2 to slip into second spot and follow his temporary team mate home for a heat maximum.
Michal was to be out again in heat 3 after bike problems at the tapes saw James Grieves just miss the two minute time allowance. Edinburgh gated on a 5-1 but Lee Complin went round the outside of bends 3 and 4 to pass Andrew Tully. Lee was then all over the back of Kalle Katajisto and just when it looked as though the Edinburgh man would hold he took a wobble on the final bend. Lee was close and quick as he drove up the inside to claim the heat win on the line.
A superb gate by Aaron Summers in heat 4 was followed by a quick ride that saw him take the victory. Jade Mudgway, in as a reserve switch, again took advantage of bend 2's inside line to pass Adam McKinna. He was quickly on the tail of Craig Cook and finally got by him with an outside drive off bend 4 lap 2. The Edinburgh riders were both left behind, Cook giving up on the final lap, as the Tigers recorded another 5-1
Ryan Fisher shot from the gate in heat 5 and although James Grieves chased hard all the way there was no real challenge. Lee Complin had been left at the start after being caught out trying to anticipate the start and had it all to do at the back. He eeked his way back into the race and at the end of the opening lap passed round the outside of Wethers to claim third.
Again we had the Joe Screen show in heat 6, but it was ably backed by an excellent ride from Rob Branford. Rob went round the outside of Craig Cook on the opening bends and held Cook off for the entire race, doing particularly well to thwart an attempted inside pass off the final bend.
Aaron Summers may have had bike problems which caused him to jump the start in the first attempt to run heat 7, Aaron jumping on Joe's bike for the re run. With Kalle on a TR for Edinburgh, it was important to get the drop and Aaron did just that on the re run. Jade Mudgway came round the outside on the opening bends to settle in behind Summers on a 5-1 and despite Andrew tully trying hard to pressure Jade, he held well and deservedly milked the applause of the Tigers faithful on the home straight after the race.
There was quite a bit of anticipating of the start in the meeting and the referee was starting to let it go if the culprit did not gain from it. That was what happened in heat 8 with Wethers definitely rolling but Glasgow gating on a 5-1. Wethers went inside Michal Rajkowski as they crossed the line at the end of the opening lap and began to put the pressure on Rob Branford. Yet again Rob rode very well but this time Wethers experience showed as he finally managed to slip through into the lead on the pits bend of the final lap.
There was a little bit controversy in heat 9 with the home support incensed when James Grieves was excluded for a tapes offence when to many it looked as if the culprit was Craig Cook. Cook was also warned to stay still at the tapes. Cook gated quickest in the re run but Lee Complin unusually used the tight inside line to come out of bend 2 into the lead. Cook hit back down the back straight but Lee regained control on bends 3 and 4. Meantime there was quite a battle going on at the rear with James Grieves looking to find a way past Lee Dicken, not an easy rider to pass when he is in front. James was all over the back of him and finally came through with a very hard move inside on the pits bend of the final lap, cutting right across Lee as he came through into third place.
Again Joe Screen owned it as he hit the front in heat 10 with Rob Branford coming out of bend 2 in second spot. Tully chased Branford for all four laps but was thwarted all the way as Branford continued to ride out of his skin for the Tigers.
Not surprisingly, Edinburgh brought Ryan Fisher out as their second Tactical ride in heat 11 and it was to pay off for them. Fisher gated well, Matthew Wethers joined up up the inside and they coasted home to an easy 1-8 to give the visitors a slim hope.
Andrew Tully was to make it two wins on the trot for the visitors, winning from the gate in heat 12. Michal Rajkowski was comfortable in second whilst the two Lee's were doing battle at the back, Lee Dicken ahead of Lee Complin. Dicken was doing his usual blocking job and on the final bends of the third lap tried to block Lee Complin's outside drive. Lee Complin however merely went wider and came through into third place.
After a ragged start, Aaron Summers hit the front in heat 13 but Joe Screen was at the rear. At the end of the opening lap, Joe swept outside Ryan Fisher into 3rd place and gave chase to Craig Cook, easily swooping round him on the closing bends of lap 2. from then on in the Tigers were comfortable the only other incident of note being when Fisher tried to go outside team mate Cook at the end of the third lap and Cook accidentally nearly sent him into the fence, Fisher having to slow up.
Again the referee allowed a rolling start to go as Katajisto did not gain from it in heat 14 with the Glasgow pairing coming out on a 5-1. it was to be an easy 5-1 for the Tigers, James Grieves winning by a country mile, the only chance Edinburgh's Katajisto had of drawing close being when Jade Mudgway wobbled at the end of the third lap but Jade held comfortably and Glasgow's cup win was confirmed.
The Tigers put Rob Branford, who again had looked good round Ashfield, out in heat 15 alongside James Grieves. He had a brief battle with Mathew Wethers for the opening lap before the Edinburgh rider pulled ahead. Branford tried hard on the inside line of bend 2 a few times, making up ground on Wethers only for Wethers to pull clear again on bends 3 and 4. Out front, there was only ever going to be one winner however with James Grieves flying out front and punching the air in delight as he crossed the line for the win.
It was an excellent victory for the Tigers. Glasgow may have been severely depleted but the three remaining Tigers played their part. Joe again looking infallible, James reliable if quiet and Michal again going quietly about his business. Our guests were vital in the win. Lee Complin looks as if he loves the new Ashfield track and Aaron Summers, when he gated, was uncatchable. Perhaps the plaudits should go to the two lowest averaged guests however. both rode exceptionally well, Jade Mudgway only just missing out on a paid maximum whilst Rob Branford yet again at Ashfield looked a far better rider than his average for Redcar would suggest and is another who looked to be enjoying the Ashfield experience.
There is no doubt that the league encounter when it comes about will be a different kettle of fish but for now, Glasgow are Super and we have the Cup to prove it!
