Monarchs line up against Wasps

Oct 6 2011 by Kieran Westbrook, West Lothian Courier

A TOUGH face-off with Knockout Cup winners Newport awaits the Scotwaste Monarchs at Armadale Stadium tomorrow.

The Wasps from Wales have gradually strengthened their side over the season and comfortably defeated Glasgow last weekend.

Their top man, Dane Charlie Gjedde, is very much an Armadale expert, after starting his season with Berwick.

However, he blamed his lack of success there on the Berwick track, and switched mid-season to Newport, where he has since excelled.

The Wasps’ captain, Leigh Lanham, also has a great record at Armadale and these two will provide a big test for the home side’s top men, Kevin Wolbert and Andrew Tully.

The Wasps track a cosmopolitan line-up with a Dane, three Aussies, two Swedes and an English captain, and made the speedway world sit up and take notice when they beat league champions-elect Glasgow by a stunning 65-25 in the first leg of the cup final.

They had no trouble defending such an unassailable lead in the second leg in Glasgow.

Last Friday, the Monarchs got the better of Leicester by 51-42 in a tight match, thanks to Wolbert and Tully, who ended the evening unbeaten. Kalle Katajisto also had one of his best nights of the season.

Teams for Friday:

Monarchs: Kevin Wolbert, Kalle Katajisto, Andrew Tully, Matthew Wethers, Craig Cook, Tom Perry, Kyle Howarth.

Newport Wasps: Charlie Gjedde, Anders Mellgren, Robin Aspegren, Jason Doyle, Leigh Lanham, Mark Jones, Todd Kurtz.

Next Friday (October 14) there will be no meeting at Armadale and the final meeting of the season will be the first leg of the Scottish Cup against Glasgow on October 21.