Great Dane’s heroics for Diamonds are in vain as Monarchs reign
A TERRIFIC performance by veteran Dane Ulrich Ostergaard was the highlight of a disappointing night for Newcastle BTS Diamonds as they completed their SGB Championship programme with a 54-36 defeat at Edinburgh Monarchs.
The 38-year-old mid-season signing by Newcastle won his first three races and then finished second three times to top Monarchs’ Sam Masters in the tenth race before Ricky Wells outgunned him in close finishes in the last two heats.
For the first six races the contest was one-sided, Edinburgh running up three 5-1 wins and two 4-2 successes – the sequence only broken by the dashing Ostergaard’s win over Wells and Josh Pickering in heat three – to lead 26-10.
After that, the Diamonds rallied, perhaps inspired by their lone 5-1 from Ostergaard and guest Broc Nicol in the seventh - followed by another win from the great Dane in the next.
With skipper Steve Worrall then recording his only win of the night over Wells and Pickering in the ninth race, Newcastle still needed someone else to step up and provide decent backing for Ostergaard over the last six races.
However, the Mnarchs went on to supply all the race-winners.
The result means the Diamonds finish second bottom of the SGB Championship table.
However, they still could end the season with a major trophy if they beat arch-rivals Redcar Bears in the final of the Knockout Cup later this month.
EDINBURGH (54): Ricky Wells 12, Sam Masters 12, Josh Pickering 8, William Lawson 7, James Sarjeant 6, Cameron Heeps 5, Connor Coles 4.
NEWCASTLE (36): Ulrich Ostergaard 15, Matthew Wethers 8, Steve Worrall 7, Broc Nicol 4, Max Clegg 2, Ryan MacDonald 0.