We might be approaching mid-October but the Scotwaste Monarchs are still battling for success on three fronts this week.

Buildbase Glasgow Tigers come to Armadale on Friday in the second leg of the Scottish Cup, before which Monarchs travel to Somerset on Wednesday in the second leg of the Premier Playoff semi-final. Then on Sunday Monarchs are back at Glasgow in their final Premier League match of the season.

Monarchs lead by a point after the first leg of the Scottish Cup at Ashfield last Sunday.

It would have been a hard heart which didn’t feel some sympathy for the Tigers who lost a 5-0 in the final race to go down by a point.

Most regrettably Robert Ksiezak suffered a broken collar bone in the last race and is presumably out for the season. We wish him a speedy recovery.

Tigers will use former Glasgow and Edinburgh rider Christian Henry as a guest replacement on Friday. He has a higher average than Robert, and the Tigers line up is not strictly according to normal rules (Peter Juul should normally be at 1 or 3 under league rules), but the Monarchs’ promotion are happy that the lineup is within the spirit of recent Scottish Cup events.

Monarchs will use rider replacement for Thomas H Jonasson assuming they come through Wednesday’s match unscathed.

The tie between Monarchs and Somerset will be concluded on Wednesday, with Monarchs leading by 21 after the first leg. On the same night the King’s Lynn v Rye House semi-final begins with the KL leg at Saddlebow Road.

William Lawson scored four points in the World Under-21 Final at Pardubice, Czech Republic last Saturday, finishing 13th. Top UK rider was Lewis Bridger with 6, and the winner was Russia’s Emil Saifutdinov.

Monarchs have invited a number of their meeting sponsors from during the season to be their guests in the George Hunter Memorial Lounge on Friday.

Monarchs will be mindful of the fact that Glasgow gave them a run for their money on their last visit to Armadale on 19th September, and it was only in the latter stages that Monarchs pulled clear.

With Christian Henry coming in at no. 1 and Trent Leverington having scored double figures on his last visit (taking Shane Parker’s contribution as read), Glasgow seem to be a well balanced side for this encounter.

It will be the first visit as a Tiger for Peter Juul, who did ride as a junior at Armadale in the Frede Schott Testimonial in 2004. Peter’s dad is a good friend of Frede’s. The youngster looked handy in the Ashfield leg last week.